Illusion of the Leaf
by NoIdea135
Summary: Rip open a part of a different dimension and thrown in an unlucky soul. Why do just that? Throw in a whole clan and make one of them remember his past. Insanity awaits... [Male OC-SI, Antagonist OC]
1. Stygian Snow

**Disclaimer: **'Naruto' belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but my OC and other OC side-characters that might turn up in the future chapters. I get nothing from this other than the multiplying plot bunnies in my brain.

**Warning: **Rated **T **for violence in later chapters. **Antagonist!OC. Male!OC. Self-Insert!OC. Reincarnated!OC. **Dark thoughts, language, insanity, bipolar tendencies, and minor deaths (maybe).

**Word count: **3,687

* * *

\( - _ - )/|oo0oo|\( - _ - )/

* * *

**Why was I even here in the first place?**

_I was reborn into a messed up world where children were trained to kill. In a world where ninjas exist there is no safe haven._

**This world made everyone suffer.**

_Obito, ignored by his own clan and grew up as an orphan. Fell in love with a girl that doesn't even give a shit about his undying love for her. He died protecting his friends and never got to tell the girl of his dreams how much he loved her._

_Even Naruto he was born only to be detested by everyone around him. He grew up like Obito, an orphan hated by the village for something that he didn't do. All he ever wanted was to be acknowledged by the village, so people would know that he existed._

**This world is filled with ungrateful bastards and stupid morons.**

_Yes all those people suffered or will suffer but what about me? Why was I brought here? What is my purpose? I'm not supposed to be here. Some could even say I was a 'glitch' in this 'game'._

_People will die every day. In this world no one can have peace. Other people need to die first before they even gain peace or make their dream come true. Heck! Some people, like Hidan, kill humans for their own amusement or 'religious' reasons._

_So, if you sum things up I'm irrelevant, people will keep dying no matter what, they will get killed, and in this world murder happens every day._

**I hate this world it's disgusting, it's cursed.**

_All I ever wanted was to live a normal and happy life... But that's not possible here. What am I going to do? Which side would I be in? ... Shisui said 'Only in death there is real peace.' But considering my position, I highly doubt it and if you think about Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation it just makes the statement sound false. Obito was right we are all living in hell._

**I died to get reincarnated in hell.**

_I've realized that there is no such thing as good and bad Naruto and the rest of the people think that Madara's idea of peace was evil while I on the other hand agree with Madara._

**'Good' and 'bad' doesn't exist in this world, it's all in each person's perspective, belief, and logic.**

...

My mentality didn't always work like this.

* * *

\( - _ - )/|oo0oo|\( - _ - )/

* * *

**3rd Person's P.O.V.**

The sound of crying filled the room. December 31, snowy morning. 15 hours of labour was worth it.

"There, there... don't cry little one," the nurse cooed the crying child before turning to the couple before her. "Congratulations, Kinju-san, it's a boy."

"A boy... did you hear that, Seika?" A male voice asked gently.

The woman, Seika chuckled weakly before answering. "Yes, dear, I did."

"Do you have a name in mind?"

She brushed away a few strands of her son's black hair. "Takeshi."

The newborn fidgeted and let out a gurgling noise.

"I think he likes it," The nurse mused then passed the child to his mother.

Seika held the child and waited for him to open his eyes. Moments later golden eyes stared back to her green ones. Takeshi reached out and grabbed a piece of the woman's hair and made another noise. Seika smiled and brushed the back of her hand against the child's chubby cheeks.

"You both need to rest, Seika." The male voice said.

Frowning, she handed her son to his father as she fell back the bed. The man wrapped a blanket around the child and placed him down the other bed. Takeshi stared at the strange man the whole time and wondered what he was saying. When he noticed the baby staring he gave him a goofy grin. "Hello, Takeshi. My name is Kinju Yukimaru." He said, happily.

"Kinju-san!"

* * *

_~1 Month Later_

"Takeshi, don't cry," the said person didn't stop and continued to bawl. "What do I do? Seika's the one who knows how to handle this. But-" his voice cracked.

The child stopped crying and stared at his father. Tilting his head, confusion became clear in his face. Yukimaru didn't notice this and continued to look down.

Takeshi grabbed the collar of his shirt and got his attention. Yukimaru redirected his gaze to his son. "Oh... You just wanted company?" He laughed. "Don't worry I'll always be here for you." Inwardly wincing at his words, he grabbed a chair to sit on and adjusted the baby in his arms.

"Go to sleep Takeshi, when you wake up I'll be here. Your mother wouldn't want me to leave you alone, right?" He tried to lighten things up.

The child could only do so few things, he stared at his father and gave him a smile.

"_Dad,_" Yukimaru blinked at the strange word.

"What was that dear?"

The child yawned and stretched his small body, "_Dad,_" he mumbled again and fell asleep.

_Dad_... It didn't make any sense, not one bit. Was his son trying to say something?_ Isn't it too early?_

* * *

_~10 Months Later_

Yukimaru was impressed by his son's growth. He is mentally advanced knowing full well that the triangle goes through the triangular-shaped hole. He also knew that one goes before two. The only thing Yukimaru's worried about is his son's vocabulary and motor-control skills.

He always took his son outside to meet a few people. Takeshi always smiles at his friends and gets along well with them but he once caught his son babbling unrecognisable words then stating what the item he pointed at.

He once walked in and saw his son point at him with his chubby finger and uttered the words 'Dad'. He shivered. It was the same word he used months earlier. Moments after, with a wide grin Takeshi called him Otou-san. He happily lifted his son and congratulated him.

"Good job, Takeshi. I'm so proud of you." He cooed. Inside he was trying to make the gesture have some sense but it never did, even now.

* * *

_A life, for a life. I was given a second chance, but someone had to die because of me. I'm terrible... I have terrible luck. They say no one can escape death... but I just did. Reincarnation... I never thought about the odds of it being real._ Takeshi thought while he was 'playing' with a toy.

Did he accept the fact that he was reincarnated? _Of course not, this predicament is bull! I needed to learn how to walk, I needed to learn how to speak Japanese, I needed to learn how to write in Japanese, I needed to remember all the characters for kanji, and I needed to lose my accent._

Takeshi's mind flared in anger but he tried to change it as quickly as possible. His new father, Yukimaru, seemed really nice and caring.

"Takeshi," he started as he picked his son up. "We're going for a walk again, we haven't done that in a while."

He could never get angry at the man who took the time to raise him and the guy who didn't hate him for Seika's death.

But deep inside he still wants to go back to his world where he was a sickly thirteen year old stuck inside a hospital with a tower of comic books by his small table... actually, they're called 'manga'.

Takeshi woke up to see three people standing around his bed. Stretching his body, he sat up to see his father talking to a man with spiky, silver-coloured hair that reached into the middle of his back tied in a ponytail and bangs that hung over his... 'Forehead protector'?

Yukimaru noticed him and greeted, "Good morning, Takeshi," he walked over to the bed to pick his son up.

The familiar man looked at Takeshi with a kind smile. "It's nice to finally meet your child, Yukimaru. How are you?" Yukimaru flinched.

Takeshi knew exactly what he was thinking. He gave the man a glare, but it ended up looking like a 'cute' pout on his child face.

Takeshi did his best to distract Yukimaru for months and now this 'Sakumo' just comes in and ruins everything.

"I'm fine, Sakumo-san. Thank you for visiting," Yukimaru replied, "and I see you brought Kakashi with you."

_Kakashi? Never thought anyone would actually name their kid after a famous character from a manga._ Takeshi thought.

He read manga and watched anime. He had almost nothing to do at the hospital. So when the day his friend, Ben, brought in some boo- manga he literally read each one of them, cover to cover.

_Naruto_, he remembered. Hatake Kakashi, classified as: **Powerful Badass Book Pervert**.

His memory is a bit blurry though, it felt like it's been a long time since he last read it.

_But I do remember, Kakashi being one of the most interesting characters. Now I'm meeting someone that's, technically, named after the guy. I wanted to know the reason why, 'Sakumo' would name his kid after a fictional character. _He thought.

He squirmed in his father's arm which confused the adults. "Takeshi, are you okay?" Yukimaru asked in concern. His son was acting oddly again.

Takeshi ignored him and continued to squirm until he noticed that he could reach Sakumo from where Yukimaru was standing. He moved his arms this time and grabbed Sakumo's shirt.

"Hi," Takeshi said trying to act casual.

"I think he likes you, Sakumo-san." Yukimaru said, smiling. Relief washed over Yukimaru when he saw that his son seems to be ok with Sakumo... unlike Fugaku.

Meanwhile, Takeshi got a better view of Sakumo, he wore a green flak jacket over a sweater, and over the sweater he had a white shirt which had red edges and a swirly print on the side. By this point Takeshi was... he can't comprehend the situation. He thinks he's out of his mind. Sakumo even carried a suspicious looking holster of some sort, which held-

Takeshi quickly retracted his hand from Sakumo's shirt and buried his face on his father's shoulder._ A weapon! Why the hell does this guy carry a weapon?! Wait... Sakumo? But isn't that Kakashi's father? Kakashi, the fictional character, from Naruto. _He frantically asked himself.

Takeshi peeked a bit to look at the child in Sakumo's arms and saw a mini-version of Sakumo wearing a grey shirt and black shorts. He had silver hair like and pale skin. He looked exactly like 'canon-Kakashi' but in baby form and no mask.

Takeshi looked up to see the adults staring at him. "I didn't know you were shy. Come on, don't be like that. It's fun to make friends and meet new people. Remember Fugaku? He was fun to talk to, right?" Yukimaru tried to reassure his son. He's always been aloof but this is a different reaction from the usual, stare and babble.

Takeshi gawked at his father's words. _Fugaku...? No wonder-wait... how come father talked to him? Last time I checked, he's not a person anyone can easily talk to._

Takeshi adjusted himself to look at Kakashi again to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him. But he was again, greeted by a baby with silver hair. He looked back and forth between the father and son duo.

"Takeshi," Sakumo started, carefully. "This is Kakashi, he's my son." Sakumo gave him a gentle smile.

Kakashi went over to Takeshi and dipped his head. "Hello," Kakashi said as he returned the gesture.

At first bowing to someone you don't know felt weird to Takeshi, because shaking hands is what he considered normal. But as time went by it slowly felt natural... sort of.

Sakumo and Yukimaru started to walk out the door but Takeshi stopped them.

"Wait," he said with a small voice. Takeshi pointed at Sakumo's weapon as if to say 'leave it'.

No matter how nice Sakumo was in the story, Takeshi didn't trust him to be in the same room with his father, especially while he's carrying that thing.

Both the adults glanced at each other with an uneasy look.

"Um," Yukimaru started. "Don't worry about it, Takeshi. Sakumo-san is a friend," He said ruffling the small amount of hair his son had. "Be good you two, we'll be back in an hour." Yukimaru said speeding up his words, before exiting the room, leaving the door slightly open.

Kakashi looked at the other kid and saw him staring at the floor with a look of horror plastered on his face.

_I'm in the Narutoverse... What. The. Hell! Damn it, are you telling me I have no choice but to accept this nightmare?!_

Takeshi yelled in his mind. In real life he fell on his back and rolled on his stomach. He let out a small squeak that would have been the girliest shriek if he hadn't stopped himself. **This is very bad!**

Kakashi pulled a bag over to Takeshi's direction and sat down next to him.

"What is that, Kashi-nii?" Takeshi asked, innocently.

Kakashi gave him a small glance then proceeded to ignore him and opened the bag. He grabbed something and shoved it in front of his face. When Takeshi's eyes finally focused he saw a stuffed animal.

"Dog," Kakashi slowly said. "Horse, rat, tiger, dragon, ox, snake, boar," He continued saying slowly while showing Takeshi the toy that corresponds to the following animals.

Takeshi was unaware of what to do so he just nodded at everything Kakashi said; letting him know he's listening.

_Aren't these the animals for the ninja hand signs? Why is he teaching me this? _Takeshi thought.

After repeating it a couple of times Kakashi looked satisfied and nodded to himself. He gathered the toys and positioned them on a row in front of Takeshi.

"Rabbit," Kakashi said. At first Takeshi didn't know what he wanted him to do, so he sat there looking confused.

Seconds later, he made an 'oh' sound when he realized what he was supposed to do. He grabbed the rabbit then showed it to Kakashi.

Kakashi gave him a nod of approval then stated the other animals. "Sheep, monkey, dragon, horse, ox," Takeshi showed him every toy, which corresponds to the animal he says. Takeshi was starting to think this mini game was entertaining.

Kakashi stopped and gave him one of his famous, close-eyed smile. "Good job, otouto." Takeshi blinked. _He's going to roll with it? _Kakashi reached over and patted head, "Otouto."

Takeshi couldn't help but feel nostalgic. He remembered his first mother doing the same thing all the time. She would pat his head then say, 'don't worry, you'll get better in no time.' He fell for it every time.

Frowning, Takeshi thought._ I can't go back there anymore even if I wanted to. My life there is done, I have a new one now; which I'm not exactly very happy about._

He looked at Kakashi and smiled at him. _Better not make him worry._ "Kashi-nii? Help walk... Please?" He asked.

Kakashi didn't hesitate and stood up holding out his hand. Takeshi happily held on as his friend pulled him up and led him to the wall.

"It's easy to follow. It also helps if you lose balance," Kakashi said. He nodded then wobbled around the room, occasionally holding the wall for support, while Kakashi followed close behind.

Meanwhile, outside the room by the small dining area, Yukimaru and Sakumo had worried looks on their faces. Both didn't understand why a 10-month-old would know a tanto is dangerous.

"How come your son knows what a tanto? Did you teach him already?" Sakumo asked with a frown, breaking the silence.

Yukimaru sighed. "I never brought up ninjas before, I didn't want him to know this early." He shook his head. "Never mind, _this _is more important. Can we please, just focus on this first?"

Sakumo nodded in understanding and ushered him to continue. "No problem."

Back in the room Takeshi walked around the room, with Kakashi in tow, multiple times. But as he walked closer to the door it suddenly opened; which scared the heck out of him.

He let out a squeaking sound and fell, luckily something broke his fall. He felt a tiny vibration and heard a groan at the same time. When he lifted his head, he saw his human cushion.

"Sorry, Kashi-nii," Takeshi apologised, innocently.

"It's ok, I think," Kakashi replied, groaning a bit.

"Whoa, sorry you two, I thought you would be over there. What are you doing?" Yukimaru asks, helping the two kids up. He was surprised by the sudden yelp but he was still concerned about his son.

Takeshi rolled off Kakashi and sat on the floor. Kakashi then stood up and patted away imaginary dust.

"Dad, I practising how walk. Kashi-nii helping," Takeshi told him cheerfully. His vocabulary's not perfect yet, but it's good enough to be understandable. Japanese is not an easy language but with motivation and help he's slowly getting it.

_Storytelling is always a fun time...I can't believe I didn't notice all the chakra related metaphors. _Takeshi thought as he stood up and staggered over to Yukimaru.

Takeshi can honestly say that practising how to walk with a baby's body felt the same as walking in high heels. How did he know what it felt like to walk in high heels, you ask? Well, his old friend Ben and him were forced to play truth or dare... the direction this conversation is going is pretty obvious now, right?

He continued 'walking' towards Yukimaru while Kakashi followed him._ He thinks I'm going to fall again, huh? _Takeshi thought glancing a bit at the prodigy.

When Takeshi finally reached Yukimaru he grinned and looked up to see his father smiling with the 'I'm proud of you' look.

"You finally did it. Great job! Maybe you should spend more time with Kakashi. He's a good influence, like his father." Yukimaru said in delight. He was glad his son is finally starting to at least open up to other people. Friends to trust, he will surely need them.

Takeshi nodded his head in agreement. But, only the part about Kakashi being a good influence, Sakumo is making him uncomfortable with his sword. _It is a sword, right?_ Takeshi thought as he checked to see if his hands were still covered in baby fat._ Yup, it definitely is._

Yukimaru laughed at his son's reaction. "Well it's been fun but I'm afraid that Sakumo-san and Kakashi will be going home now."

Hearing this made Takeshi pout, he enjoyed Kakashi's company. It was a new experience, being able to spend time with someone 'his age'.

He wobbled over to Kakashi's direction then said, "Come back, again?"

"Sure," Kakashi answered. Takeshi wasted no time and hugged him by the waist.

Kakashi looked at the other tiny human hugging him by the waist._ He seems energetic. Takeshi... father wanted us to get along. That wouldn't be too hard, he's nice. _Kakashi thought.

Takeshi frowned. _If I was going to be stuck here then I might as well have someone teach me how to defend myself. I'm going to have to learn how to trust a man with a weapon._

He released him then slightly pulled on Kakashi's hair. "Is it silver or white?" He asked.

Takeshi wasn't really sure what colour the Hatake's classify their hair as, so he was going to find out. Ben said it was white and Takeshi said it was silver.

Both adults had nostalgic looks on their faces while a bead of sweat fell from Kakashi's head. "Does it really matter?"

"Yes," Takeshi insisted.

"Um... it's silver," Kakashi answered.

Takeshi suddenly felt Sakumo's hand land on his head. He tensed, but stopped himself from scooting away.

_Still not sure about him. _Why?_ Because he waltz into our home, with a weapon. I get that this is the Narutoverse, but would it kill him to lose the weapon? Father and him are friends, right?_

"It's like they're a small version of us," Yukimaru said nonchalantly. He was happy with how things went today, he could finally relax.

"I agree," Sakumo said with a smile.

* * *

\( - _ - )/|oo0oo|\( - _ - )/

* * *

_**The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on.**_

_**~Robert Bloch**_

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you for taking the time to click on this fanfic. As of June 2014, there are 362k Naruto fanfics, so I appreciate that you decided to click on this. This fanfic will be bouncing back and forth between 1st person's (or Takeshi's) P.O.V. to 3rd Person's P.O.V. as I go on and I will try my best to update at least once a week. English is my second language so if you see any errors feel free to scream at me. _Well, how is it? _Leave a review and tell me what you think. I hope you enjoyed.

~NoIdea135 *5798*


	2. Crimson Onyx Clan

**Word count: **2,361

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

A couple of years have passed and now there were only a few months left before I join the Academy.

During the years between now and the day of my birth, many things have happened at a short amount of time. I have met exactly eight people. Sakumo, Kakashi, Fugaku, Mikoto, Kushina, Minato, Sandaime-sama, and Asuma.

_**Sakumo and Kakashi.**_

They help me with my training and taught me how to throw weapons. We usually used wooden kunai, but sometimes Sakumo would let us use real kunai, as long as father and him were supervising.

When dad was out on a mission I would always crash at their place. Same goes for Kakashi when Sakumo was out on a mission. Sakumo is slowly, but surely growing on me.

Kakashi started to where a mask too, I didn't question him about it or anything because I really don't care if he wears one or not.

_**Fugaku and Mikoto.**_

Father and I somehow manage to bump into one of them every day. It was as if not seeing at least one of them each day would mean something's wrong. Mikoto's a sweet 16 year old girl while Fugaku's a poker-faced rock that has lived in this world for 21 years.

When father and I saw him with Mikoto during my birthday we walked over to them to say hi like we normally do. Mikoto immediately greeted me, so I hugged her and an unsuspecting Fugaku, which caused his eyes to widen in surprise.

While I hugged him I said, "Even though you're a rock I still think you care, Fugaku-nii-san!" Unfortunately for him father saw it and he will never let him live a day without being reminded of it.

_**Kushina and Minato.**_

I met them when we bumped into Mikoto in the middle of the street while the three of them were talking and hanging out like normal teenagers.

Since then when I saw them I always felt pain. Why? Because Kushina hugs the life out of me and Minato just smiles so much it makes my face hurt.

_**Sandaime-sama and Asuma.**_

When father was out on a mission Sakumo brought Kakashi and I to the park to practice tree walking.

_Practice tree walking? Ha! More like running to the top and back down in less than 30 minutes. _The tree isn't very high so it actually took us a long time.

While in the middle of the exercise the two of them passed by. I caught a glimpse of the Hokage and Sakumo talking while Asuma just had his hands inside his pockets.

I stared at them with wide eyes while hanging upside down on a branch._ Creepy and effective, might I comment._

When Asuma saw me he jumped a bit, then scowled calling me a moron. I then replied, his comment with a, "Yes, a moron indeed. But this moron scared you, Pocket man."

He huffed and looked away from me, arms crossed, while the Hokage watched us, eyes filled with amusement.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

The art of deception is something a person like me needed to master. Controlling my emotion is step one, step two is brainstorming lies and step three is getting mad acting skills; which I would hopefully have in the future.

Father and Sakumo are going on a mission to the Land of Wind together. Kakashi and I were seeing them off. Father ruffled my hair plenty of times and hugged me tightly. He's really touchy today, I wonder why.

I set the thought aside when father said, "If you behave, when I get back I'll teach you something about our clan!" That made me excited, I always wanted to learn about our blood line's abilities.

Once Sakumo was done with his good-bye they both disappeared in a cloud of smoke. My stomach felt sick, but I ignored it and turned around to meet our 'babysitter' for the week.

* * *

Staying with Mikoto isn't so bad. It was just, to simply put it, the most unproductive week of my life.

Kakashi and I are mostly inside our temporary room doing chakra exercises like walking on the wall, which was slightly harder than tree walking because the surface was smooth and there was less spaces for chakra to grab on to. We also shared a futon; we both fit so there was no problem.

One of the things that annoyed Kakashi was the fact that Mikoto never allowed us to go anywhere without her. The only place where she doesn't follow us was our temporary room, one reason why I stayed inside with Kakashi most of the time.

Another is because we are at the Uchiha clan compound, obviously they wouldn't let outsiders wander around their territory. The third day was probably the day we actually got to do something.

Mikoto brought Kakashi and I outside to the young Uchihas' playground/training fields. I'm so bored, I don't even care if there were Uchiha kids running around giving us weird looks, I needed fresh air.

* * *

Kakashi and I we're playing a slightly different version of tag. I run from him and if he catches me he'll ask a question, like 'What is the name of the first Hokage?' If I answered correctly I get a 1 minute head start and if not then we switch roles.

I jumped from tree to tree trying to get away from Kakashi. When I saw a blur of orange, I stopped and looked below. I narrowed them until I saw a boy with spiky black hair wearing a blue shirt with orange edges and the Uchiha symbol on the back.

He's sitting under the tree I'm perched on. So I did the one thing I've always wanted to do since I arrived in this world._ A ninja jump scare. _I jumped down from the tree and landed right in front of his face.

"Gah!" He yelped falling on his back. He quickly recovered, rubbing the back of his head as he pointed a finger at me. "What was that for? Who do you think you are? What do you want?"

_He is quite the loudmouth. _"Um... I wanted to scare you a bit? My name is Kinju Takeshi by the way and I was wondering if you wanted to play," He blinked. "So... do you?" I asked eagerly.

"You... want to play... with me?!" He asked surprised as he redirected the finger from me to himself.

I nodded. "Yup! So what's your name?" He didn't say a word he instead gave me a disbelieving look.

I already knew the answer to the question but I wanted to hear it from him. I felt Kakashi's chakra above us but he didn't make a move, he just continued to watch.

After a few more seconds of silence he finally gave me his signature bright grin and adjusted his goggles as he proudly said, "My name is Uchiha Obito and I'm going to be the next Hokage! And when that happens my clan and everyone else will finally acknowledge me!"

We heard an arrogant sounding huff from above. _Of course. I should have known that he would-_

"Hokage? Do you even know how to control chakra?" He flatly asked as he jumped down from the tree and landed gracefully beside us.

"N-not yet! But I will!" He stuttered out with determination.

"Hn. How can you say you're going to be the next Hokage, if you can't even do something as simple as that?"_ Not everyone is a genius like you, calm down._

"Kashi-nii don't say that, please. Someday he might grow up to be stronger than you," I said._ I know he will, with the help of Madara. _He raised an eyebrow at me but I ignored him.

"Obito-nii, if you want I can help you unlock your chakra. When you do we can play tag," Kakashi flinched at my offer.

"What does chakra have to do with playing tag?"

"Kashi-nii and I play a different version of it. Instead of playing on the ground like 'normal' people, we play up at the trees," I explained enthusiastically.

"Normal people? What's that supposed to mean?" Kakashi blurted out.

"Is that why you came from up there?" He asked pointing above ignoring Kakashi.

"Yeah! But before we play, I want to ask you something."

"Huh? What is it?" He asked confused.

"You said you wanted to become the Hokage so that your clan would acknowledge you, right?" He nodded._ I do not own this quote, Kishimoto-san does. _I thought playfully.

"Obito-nii... Your think people will acknowledge once you become the Hokage, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" He asked still confused.

"I think that's... Incorrect. In my opinion at least." As I said the word 'my' all I could think of was,_ I remembered to throw a disclaimer out there, right?_

Obito was about to say something but kept his mouth shut when Kakashi beat him to it. "What do you mean by that?" Kakashi asked, intrigued by my sudden change.

"It is more likely that a person becomes the Hokage because he was acknowledged. Take Shodaime-sama as an example. He became the Hokage because people acknowledge and trusted him. He didn't have to become the Hokage before people acknowledged him. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" I tried my best to explain but storytelling and teaching are some of my weakest points.

He nodded his head affirmative but looked confused. I sighed. "Don't worry. You'll understand when you're older." I told him. Which was mentally true, but not physically.

He raised a brow at me. "Older? How old are you?"

"I am 4 at the moment," I answered confidently.

"4?! That's a year younger than me! But you sound so mature! I thought you were at least 6, considering your height."

"So, you're saying me calling you Obito-nii didn't help you figure out that I was younger than you?"

"Pathetic, outsmarted by someone younger than you. How are you going to be the Hokage at this rate?" Kakashi said crossing his arms while giving Obito a cocky smirk.

"Shut up! If you're so smart then what do you think he was trying to say?" Obito countered, annoyance clear in his voice.

"It's just as he says. A person does not acquire acknowledgment because he is the Hokage it is rather a person becomes the Hokage because he gained the crowd's acknowledgment," He said with ease.

_I'm not very good at explaining, but at least Kakahi knows how my vocabulary worked._

"Exactly! I couldn't have said it any better." I said agreeing with Kakashi which made him smile under his mask, but I didn't know that.

"Whatever," Obito said crossing his arms while pouting.

"Cheer up, Obito-nii. I'll teach you about chakra! Come on," I grinned at him.

"Su-"

"Kakashi-kun! Takeshi-kun! It's time to go!" We heard Mikoto call out as she approached us. I sighed._ So much for hanging out._

"Is she your mom? Wait-" He held up his hand and looked between the two of us. "You two are related?! You look nothing alike!" This made Kakashi's eye twitch and for a bead of sweat to drop from my head._ Is he serious?_

"No, we're not related and Mikoto-nee-chan is definitely not our mother."

"So, Mikoto-san is your sister? You're from the Uchiha clan too!" He asked hopefully.

"No!" I didn't know he was this much of an idiot; or maybe he's just lonely.

"Is there a problem here?" Mikoto said raising a brow at the three of us.

"Nothing Mikoto-san this idiot here is just annoying us." Kakashi said as he stabbed a thumb over to Obito's direction.

"Don't call me that, you masked-weirdo!"

"Idiot,"

"Bastard,"

They stood there glaring at each other. You can actually feel the imaginary sparks of electricity crackling between their gaze. Mikoto just rolled her eyes at them while I just watched with a blank face.

"You know Takeshi-kun, sometimes I think you're the only normal boy I know," She said with a sigh.

"Normal? There is no such thing as normal, everything in this world is eccentric. In fact the human brain is by far the most complicated thing in the world and standing beside it is chakra." I said tilting my head at her._ What am I saying?_

"I take it back. I can see the weirdness now... the good kind though," She said with a smile.

"Thank you. So, what do we do with them?" I said motioning my head at Kakashi and Obito.

She sighed. "They'll get tired of it, eventually."

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

The week continued and Kakashi refused to go to the playground/training fields no matter how many times I asked him to.

"Please Kashi-nii, if you don't come with me Mikoto-nee-chan won't let me go."

"I don't like it there," He retorted childishly.

"Why? It's fun to play outside and I haven't seen Obito-nii in a while," I said looking up remembering that I promised to help him with unlocking his chakra.

Kakashi looked away and muttered something under his breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

Sighing I let it slide. "Fine, I won't ask again," I said moving over to the futon. "Goodnight."

"It's 5 in the afternoon,"

I shrugged. "I want as much sleep as I can get. When we become ninjas we might not have enough time for sleep." I explained.

"I see," I heard him say as I fell asleep.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Dont walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.**_

_**~Albert Camus**_


	3. Century and Clay

**Word count: **2,053

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

I was walking toward the gates with Kakashi and Mikoto to welcome our parents.

While Kakashi and I anxiously waited for them Mikoto said, "You'll always be welcome at my house, so don't be shy. Drop by once in a while, okay?" We, of course, politely accepted the offer.

After waiting for an hour, we're greeted by a tsunami of leaves headed straight for our direction, with a panicked Sakumo trying everything he can to redirect it. Mikoto quickly grabbed the both of us and made a run for it.

"Mikoto-san, what's happening?" I asked panicking._ Where is my father? Is he all right? _Mikoto didn't answer and instead ran faster.

_What's happening? _I saw many members of the Police Force run to the direction opposite to where we were headed. I heard shouts of 'don't let them get the boy' and 'protect Mikoto-san and the children'.

ANBU and high level ninjas started to arrive using multiple Fire Style and Barrier Techniques. Some created walls made of earth while the Uchiha's made the hand signs for _Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique _burning all the leaves.

But as the current wave burned, another wave was created and it surrounded some of the defenders before exploding killing their victims instantly.

Kakashi looked horrified, the blood of the dead ninjas filled the field. The stench is revolting, it was disgusting. Some were sliced, some were decapitated, some were punctured by a needle-like material unmoving, and some turned to ashes.

Due to the air waves we were blown back. The bomb exploded near Mikoto, which caused her to lose her grip on both Kakashi and I. But before we got separated I grabbed Kakashi by the collar and threw him over to Mikoto.

As we separated leaves surrounded me.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**3rd Person's P.O.V.**

Inside the cold cave of Uchiha Madara, Takeshi was unconscious on the ground. Every now and then he would twitch but won't wake up entirely.

Earlier that day... night, Madara dropped a ton of 'facts' on Takeshi's mindset. His father, Yukimaru, was dead._ The Land of Wind... is it a good place to die in? Was the age of thirty-one long enough? Do things happen for a reason or do they just scream it at people's faces?_

He let out Robin Odon, the sickly 13-year-old that just wants a normal and happy life. He remembers hanging out with Ben when he was 11. Then at age 12, he got admitted to the hospital. His old family was not rich, not poor either, but there really just wasn't any hope for him. Relatives and friends visit, but visiting won't cure his condition. It just makes him think he really was going to die.

The life he wanted,_ no war, no sickness, no sudden deaths and, most importantly, no chakra_. All the people who he cares about alive; Mom, dad, Sakumo, and his parents, his first parents he wanted them back; _All of them..._

Leaf Puppetry... the same technique that took him away from his perfectly 'normal' life was his own. He hated it.

He hated his village for letting this happen. _You would make a good ninja_, someone once 'complemented' him. _Bullshit logic, they think I would make a good killer._ An eye for an eye, you make me stronger your way, I'll get rid of you my way. The bullshit logic of the village gives a person some pretty bullshit mindset.

The 'village leader(s)' never cared for the villagers' well-being. If they did, then child soldiers wouldn't exist. Wars start because of their childish bickering over small things. If you want a village to be successful then lead them to greatness, not war._ But how would one conquer land without bloody, hissy fights?_

_~"This world is full of things that don't go as you wish; the longer you live the more you realize reality is just made of pain, suffering, and emptiness. In this world, when there is light, there are also shadows. As long as the concept of winners exists, there must also be losers. The selfish desire of wanting to maintain peace causes wars, and hatred is born to protect love."~_

Very deep, emotional, true, and irrelevant. Love, the thing that causes failure; **every time**. Trust is a sign of the weakness that lurks within a person. The weakness of needing someone, independence is what the world needs..._ Actually, let the world fall if it chooses to._

...

But I can't do that I want them to grow, I want the people to live longer lives. I want their ages to reach eighty and not thirty. Long lives, better family ties. Most parents die during their child's teenage years, the time when they are needed the most.

Temporary "peace" is what I would call it, temporary for personal reasons. Some might disagree, some might see the rightness in my point.

_Father is dead... and he kept secrets. Yukimaru of the Kinju? Madara said, he is from an ice release clan..._

_My plans... are they acceptable in human terms...? _Takeshi clenched his fists._ No, it doesn't matter, I'm doing this for the best. This is 'right'._

_"Uchiha-sama"... your help in this little project would be much appreciated._

* * *

The indirect fact "your father is a Yuki not a Kinju", is the reason Madara chose Takeshi to be his pawn. A pawn that will give Madara the advantage he wants, the advantage he needs.

The pawn would reach the other side and become a queen piece, a weapon of mass destruction; mass destruction on the chess board and a priceless asset in Madara's point of view.

_~"Everybody from Konoha thinks you're dead, even Sakumo and Kakashi."~_

Those simple 10 words that crumbled all the boy's hope for all, regret... Madara felt none. This is right, this is what the world needs; peace._ Visions of the future... such a shame he's not an Uchiha._

* * *

Zetsu is disappointed with the results of his "master's" convincing. Anti-climactic was his view on the mind twist.

_A child's mind is a great place to plant ideas and opinions... but the child is too young to fully understand all this shit. _Zetsu smartly kept to himself._ How is he going to lead another kid, who's older than him by almost a year?_

_~"Keep an eye on him."~_

The order was annoying and obvious. Even he got it the first time he stalked the kid. Jumping from tree to tree, talking in strange babbles that may or may not have meanings according to Madara. _Obviously, it meant something. Psh!_

Yeah, yeah, **no**. If he was an idiot he would have laughed in the elderly Uchiha's face. But no instead he went underground and proceeded to laugh his ass off.

_~"I've heard a voice in my head once say, If life hands you lemons, you should make lemonade... and try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party... Uchiha-sama I think you've got the vodka covered, now all we need to do is to plan the party."~_

_~"It's a self-invite. It's going to be fun. Let's just hope a he-she won't interrupt your dance this time... or would you prefer to have a dance rematch?"~_

_Apparently the kid's crazy... although, the random snippets of the future probably did it. _

Zetsu was surprised by the 'gift' Madara was given, but he brushed it aside to get started on 'work'. _Now, how to get the Obito kid... this might take a while._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**Takeshi's P.O.V.**

"Uchiha-sama, who is this person you speak of, whenever I say something strange?" I curiously asked._ Obviously whoever the person was he or she is already dead._

"Continue channelling your chakra to the leaves. Zetsu will be back later with more," He said firmly, ignoring/avoiding my question once again.

I let out a defeated sigh. "Yes, Uchiha-sama,"

For the past couple of... weeks? I've seen some scrolls with my clan's techniques. Apparently my two clan members that Madara controlled had some scrolls with them.

Madara said some pretty interesting things about my clan..._ I'll look into that when I have time. For now I'll focus on keeping myself alive and plotting, which of course meant following Madara's orders._

I didn't fully understand how my kekkei genkai worked, all I know is I unlocked it when I snapped._ Sanity is the price for power. It's always been like that ever since the beginning._

Since then, Madara's trained me how to do the _Leaf Clone Technique, Ninja Art: Leaf Animal Puppets, Multiple Leaf Blades, _and _Ninja Art: Leaf Detonation_. Though the only jutsu he wanted me to finish was the _Leaf Clone Technique_.

"I'm back," I heard a voice announce._ Zetsu... I labeled him as 'the freaky, one-eyed "clay" dude'... and Zetsu-nii._

"Zetsu-nii, do you have any idea who this person Uchiha-sama keeps mentioning?" I asked him with a hopeful expression._ Answers will be much appreciated. Random lady or dude needs a name._

"No," he replied bluntly. A look of confusion was suddenly clear on his face. "Why do you want to know so badly?" He asked.

"Well, even though this person is obviously already dead I still want to know who he or she is," I answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

My clan, according to Madara, suffered the same faith as the Uzumaki during the Second Shinobi World War, when Uzushiogakure was destroyed. My mother found refuge within the Leaf. She was not welcomed with open arms and was usually followed by Anbu.

_So, that's why I had this feeling... unbelievable, they never trusted us!_

"Continue your training, Takeshi. Remember once you perfect the Leaf Clone Technique I will give you the scroll with the Forest Chameleon Technique," he bluntly ordered.

I nodded then gave him a lazy salute. "Yes sir," _Forest Chameleon Technique_. It allows the user to turn their body into leaves.

"Good, now show me what you can do so far," he commanded.

I hurriedly complied and poured out chakra into the leaves and started to manipulate them. They started to take shape then I added more chakra into the structure. I didn't stop until it gained colour, when I was satisfied I looked at my creation.

The figure was a boy with spiky black hair, golden eyes and tan skin. He wore a dirt-covered black shirt and shorts. He was thin and he looked like he lived in the streets.

"I feel sorry for myself," I bluntly stated.

"Looks can be deceiving _Takeshi-chan_," Zetsu said. I twitched at the nickname.

"_Zetsu-nii_, your advice would have stayed in my head for all eternity if it weren't for the honorific," I told him, irritated.

"Same goes for me to what you just said," He replied with a cocky, lopsided grin.

"Enough," Madara ordered, which of course made us both listen.

He eyed my clone, which made it fidget._ Yup, that's definitely me. _"This clone is better compared to the first one," I felt pride inside me, so I smiled.

"You can start with the basics of the Forest Chameleon Technique. I have no direct knowledge about the technique, so all you have are the scrolls. Now do not bother me," as he ended this he closed his eyes and slumped a little as his breathing slowed down.

I scratched the back of my head then turned to look at the scrolls._ Wow, some help you are. I sighed. Whatever, let's just get this started. If you didn't have anything that I needed, I wouldn't be as polite. So you better be worth my time, Madara._

I skimmed through the scroll while Zetsu read over my shoulder.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**If life hands you lemons, you should make lemonade... And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.**_

_**~Ron White**_


	4. Toad Orphans

**Word count: **2,190

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

Months? have passed and I continued to train under Madara. My former weaknesses are no hindrance to me anymore and my past skills were accelerated. I now perfected every technique in the scroll.

_Okay, I may have gone over board with the boasting. _It's actually more of 'I understand but I don't know if it will work well in a real fight'.

Madara decided to delay the mission for some unknown reason.

My hair has gotten longer and messy, so I tied it in a low ponytail using a piece of my clothing hoping that it didn't look as bad as it did before. But when I saw my reflection on a puddle the only words that came out of my mouth was, "My hair looks like a retarded rooster's rear end."

I heard a snicker from behind me so I turned to glare at Zetsu. "Really now? I didn't notice," He teased before snickering again.

I scoffed then looked away from him crossing my arms together, pouting._ I look like Sasuke! This is unacceptable!_

"Iz-**Takeshi**." My head shot up._ What was he going to say? _Then turned to Madara. He looked worse than he did the first time I saw him. I walked over to him then sat by the steps near his throne.

"What is it, Uchiha-sama?" I asked._ I wonder if he's going to make me do laps on the ceiling again. I sure hope so, it's fun._

He inhaled deeply then exhaled tiredly. "Your first mission is about to begin," My eyes widened with excitement._ Finally, I can get out of here!_

"But first I want you to make a clone and transfer half of your chakra to it," I was confused but followed his order nonetheless.

It was hard to do at first but once you get the hang of it it's really not that bad. Once the clone was done it looked exactly like the current me. I turned to Madara as he said, "Now the mission," he paused before continuing. "I want you to go back to Konoha."

"What? Go back there? For what? I have no one to return to. Everybody thinks I'm dead," He sent a hateful glare at my direction. "Sorry, Uchiha-sama, I did not mean to interrupt," I said looking down.

"As I was saying, I want you to go back to Konoha and befriend Obito. I know recruiting him is a risky move but either way he would be of great use to me. The other people who you see in your visions too, befriend them, earn their trust. I want you to act as if you are still you. You will leave this clone here with me to serve as a messenger on what is going on at Konoha. You will never speak of this place to anyone, make up a story, make it believable, do not tell them you don't remember anything for they will bring you to the Torture and Interrogation Unit and have someone look through your memories... And most importantly do not fail me." He said as I buried everything he told me into my brain.

"Yes, Uchiha-sama,"

He nodded then turned to Zetsu. "You will leave today. Zetsu will knock you out and leave you at the forest 3 kilometers west of Konoha, understood?"

"Yes, Uchiha-sama," As I finished the sentence I felt something hit my pressure point and I fell on the ground.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

I woke up to the smell of wet grass and rain. My body felt tired and my stomach growled, demanding food. I grabbed it hoping that the sounds would stop. I looked around to see trees surrounding me as the rain poured down._ I'm going to get a cold._

I struggled to get up and keep my footing as I held on to a tree for support._ 3 kilometers!? Why not drop me somewhere closer?_

I continued to stagger through the forest but after about 10 feet my legs gave out and I fell face first to the ground._ Man, what a drag._

_***snap***_

I heard a twig snap from a distance. My tired body went rigid. I jerked my head from the ground and supported my weight on my arms.

_Seriously? Enemy ninjas, at a time like this?! _I panicked and tried to hide behind the nearby tree. When I finally managed to stand I limped over to my desired location, but fell with a thud halfway through the process._ Damn it!_

"Who's there?" I heard a boy's voice say._ Idiot, do you really think anyone would answer?_

I stayed still hoping that whoever it was would think I was just a wild animal. But luck was against me. I was on the ground face to face with someone's foot.

"Hey it's a kid!" I moved my head to look at the person. But failed miserably as my head wouldn't move due to exhaustion._ Why am I so tired?_

"Yahiko, quit fooling around," I heard a girl's voice say, obviously annoyed._ Yahiko? Oh shit, where am I?_

"Am not! I'm serious he's right here! I'm not sure if he's still alive, though." He countered.

I heard splashes of water and rustling of leaves. It took me a moment to realize that I was still on the ground so I again tried to move but abandoned the idea when I felt 3 chakra signatures surround me, all unfamiliar.

I heard a gasp and fast footsteps coming towards my direction.

"It is a kid! But where are his parents?" I heard the girl say. She looked around as if searching for something.

"Maybe he's the same as us." A slightly nervous voice suggested.

I felt someone turn me over and rested my head on something soft. As I slowly opened my eyes I was greeted by a girl with blue hair and grey eyes with a paper flower on her head.

"He's waking up." She announced to the two.

I gave her a terrified expression then moved against my body's will. I rolled of her lap and backed away from her until my back connected with a tree. My whole body begged for me to stop any unnecessary movements but I ignored it and continued what I was doing.

"W-who are you?" I said as I turned away and positioned my arms defensively in front of me.

They looked surprised. Konan being the female of the three slowly approached me smiling with her hands in front of her in an 'I mean no harm' gesture.

"Don't worry we're not going to hurt you," She said with a comforting voice. I lowered my guard and looked at her through golden eyes.

"You're not?" I asked with disbelief.

"Of course not. Why would we do that?" She asked. I lowered my head then began to shake, fake tears fell from my eyes.

"Don't cry!" She panicked not knowing what to do. Without any warning I hugged her by the waist and forced my self to cry.

"Thank you! I thought you were one of them." I said shakily as I shivered because of the cold air.

"One of them?"

"The mean men who took me away from home," I answered looking up to her.

She held a sad expression on her face. "Took you away from home? You're not from here?" I shook my head 'no'. "How old are you?" I stopped for a moment and thought about it._ How old am I?_

I turned to her then asked, "What month is it?"

"February," She answered still having a gentle tone in her voice._ February! I'm already 5 years old! I've been in Madara's cave for 8 months!_

I looked at my fingers and pretended to count. "Um... 5," I said as I presented her five of my fingers. "This is 5, right?"

She wrapped her arms around my waist then lifted me up and held me like a child positioning my head on her shoulder. "Yahiko, we're taking him with us," She said almost immediately.

"What?! But wait-"

"No buts we are taking him with us and that is final. He's only 5, Yahiko. Unless you know where to find his parents we are not leaving him in the middle of the forest while it's raining," She said with finality.

"Calm down, Konan. Let's take him back to Jiraiya-sensei," The boy with red hair suggested as he attempted to calm the girl down. I heard the orange-haired boy huff but say nothing. _Jiraiya is here! But I thought he went here earlier?_

Never mind if he's here then I have a better chance of getting back to Konoha. I just have to work with my few yet very helpful advantages.

They walked in silence which made me drowsy. I yawned then buried my face on Konan's shoulder and hugged her neck loosely. "Thank you, Konan-nee-chan."

She stopped walking but I fell asleep before she had the chance to say anything.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Cave clone's P.O.V.**_

"YOU DID WHAT?!"_ What the hell was Zetsu thinking?!_

"I dropped the real you near Amegakure," He said as if there was no problem.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"_ Zetsu you idiot!_

"Takeshi," I turned my angry expression into a neutral one as I turned to Madara. "It was my idea. I changed my mind I wanted the real you to have some connection to my future organization's leader. Do not worry, the Toad Sage is there. Also, if you are seen going back to Konoha with him no one would question it except the Hokage and the Village Elders." He explained.

Oh, of course. Zetsu wouldn't do anything without Madara ordering him. I should trust Madara's decision, he tricked the world into thinking he was dead._ I would say that was genius._

"I'm sorry for panicking, Uchiha-sama," He nodded then closed his eyes. "Emotions are a hindrance to perfection," I said sighing.

I should have kept my cool, I need to practice controlling my emotions more often._ Oh geez, I sound like a ROOT candidate._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Takeshi's P.O.V.**_

"Who is this?" A man with spiky white hair asked suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes at me so I hid behind Konan._ That's what kids do, right?_

"Uh, we never asked. Konan just demanded that we bring him here and Nagato suggested that we show the kid to you. I had nothing to do with this," He said as he waved his arms in front of him and made an 'X'.

Jiraiya motioned for me to come closer. I looked at Konan first silently asking for her permission. She gave me a smile then jerked her head over to Jiraiya's direction. I then quickly walked over to Jiraiya and sat cross-legged beside him while looking up at him with wide eyes.

"What is your name?" He asked no gentle tone whatsoever.

"Takeshi," He raised a brow at me.

"Full name," I scratched the back of my head then gave him an apologetic grin.

"Sorry, my name is Kinju Takeshi," His eyes widened in disbelief.

Then not being able to control the next words that came out of his mouth he said, "But your dead!"

The three orphans froze at this. Yahiko being the loudmouth in the group said, "Dead?! What are you talking about? He's right there." He walked over and poked my shoulder. "See? He's solid. My hand doesn't go through him. He can't be a ghost."_ Idiot, I'm not a ghost I am a reincarnation._

"How are you alive? Why are you here?" He asked as he grabbed me by the shoulder.

"I'm dead? Are you from Konoha? I want to go home. Dad, Sakumo-san, and Kashi-nii must be worried!" I blurted out.

His grip softened and he gave me a sad look._ I already knew why._

"Konoha?! That's really far from here," Yahiko interjected.

"After I'm done training you three I'm leaving," Jiraiya announced.

Their heads shot up. "Why?"

"I need to take this boy back with me. Also, I know that when I'm done training you, you would be able to defend yourselves with no problem. I trust you," He said smiling at them.

They gave him sad looks in return. "Hey don't act like there's a funeral here. Lighten up! But first I need you all to get out, I need to have a word with Takeshi," Without a word they all walked out brooding.

When the door closed Jiraiya turned to me. "We need to talk," He said. His tone changed into a more serious one.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Cloning represents a very clear, powerful, and immediate example in which we are in danger of turning procreation into manufacture.**_

_**~Leon Kass**_


	5. Welcome Back to Spy

**Word count: **3,437

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

Fortunately, Jiraiya only wanted to tell me about my father's death. It was already old news, because Madara had already informed me. The real news that surprised me was that Sakumo is also dead.

I stared angrily at the ground. Damn the Hidden Leaf. I still cared about Sakumo. Even if he wasn't able to save dad he did kill Sasori's parents, I didn't have to get revenge anymore. I knew he was going to die sooner or later.

_I just wish I could have said goodbye._

When I asked him how they died he answered without hesitation telling me how father died, it was exactly as Madara said.

But gave me a sad look after then said, "I'm sorry but for Sakumo's death you are going to have to ask the Hokage or Kakashi." I looked down and thought.

_So they really were cautious about who knows what had happened to Konoha's White Fang. No wonder Chiyo thought Kakashi was Sakumo; or maybe that's just because she's old and kind of paranoid._

He told me that he recognized my chakra and he just wanted to know my name. He said that my existence was actually kept secret and that only a handful of people know about me. He said it was to keep me safe.

I just got kidnapped by an evil mastermind, I feel so safe, your efforts were not wasted. Wait a second, keep me safe? From what or who? Madara? They don't know about him, right?

Jiraiya continued his training with Konan, Yahiko and Nagato while simultaneously keeping an eye on me. At some point during the week I got a 'dream' message from my clone informing me about the new mission. So I quickly replied and gave them a mission report. Madara seemed satisfied so he told me to try to keep training and maybe even ask Jiraiya for some pointers.

I did as I was told and asked Jiraiya to train me with the three.

"Jiraiya-san, can I train too?" I asked expectantly.

"Why?" He asked not even sparing me a look.

"I, uh, forgot to tell you something," I said as I looked away and played with my ponytail. I still didn't cut my hair.

"What is it?" He asked demanding an answer.

"I'll show you," As I said that I went over to get some leaves then shoved them in front of him.

He raised a brow at this so I continued. I channeled chakra into the leaves then made them float on air. His eyes widened in realization and disbelief. I controlled the leaves to make a small tornado on my hand like I did for Madara all the time then let the leaves go. They immediately withered so I didn't bother picking them up. When I looked up to him I couldn't read his expression.

"For how long were you able to do that?"

"About," I thought for a while before answering. "7 months."

He sighed then murmured under his breath. "This is early... too early," Even if he said it quietly I still heard him but pretended that I didn't.

"Huh?"

"N-no, nothing," He answered.

"Ok, so can you train me?" I enthusiastically asked again.

"Yes," When he said that I felt as if I can actually read his mind.

_**He is too young to control this properly. He needs guidance. Should I tell him about his clan or not? No. Sensei would kill me if I told him.**_

* * *

Every morning, 4 o'clock, I would sneak out of the house and go near the river to practice chakra control. I recently found out that I actually had an affinity to water. Not only that I also had lightning and wind release. Apparently Jiraiya had some chakra paper with him so he let me use them.

As soon as I had the chance I quickly informed Madara about it and he ordered me to ask Jiraiya to teach me some water and wind techniques. Much to my surprise Jiraiya had scrolls with basic water and wind techniques so I wasted no time and quickly tried to learn a few.

I was cautiously sneaking out in the middle of the night to go to the nearby river. When I was certain that I'm all alone I channeled my chakra to my feet and slowly walked on the water's surface.

I kept on walking near the edge so if I lose focus I wouldn't drown. I took one last step then went back to land but I wasn't done yet.

I started to look for fish when I saw one I immediately held out my hand above the water's surface then sent chakra into the water. The chakra circled the position of the fish effectively trapping it.

Catching the fish was difficult, controlling the _blob _of water was a different story. I call it a _blob _because it hardly looks like a ball.

I continued to lift the water blob, with the fish in it, then held it there for 5 minutes. Jiraiya said that my kekkei genkai requires heaps of chakra control, but I already knew that._ At least now I have an excuse if they catch me._

After 5 minutes I didn't release the fish just yet I started to move the blob from left to right making waving motions.

_Now I just have to keep this up for 10 more minutes. Then I can cook the fish and tell everyone else that I caught it for them._

* * *

"Yahiko-nii-san, can you help me with a technique?" I asked.

"Sure, which one?" He answered.

At first Yahiko didn't particularly like me because according to him I was hogging Konan; which was partially true but it was unintentional. It wasn't my fault Konan acted like an overprotective older sister. She even started to call me _otouto_.

After he voiced out his thoughts in the middle of dinner I started to hang out with Nagato and trained a bit on chakra control with him and acted as if I was his little brother.

Since then Yahiko noticed that Nagato smiled more often and cried less than he used to so he started to think that having me around was a positive thing for Nagato.

"Water Release: Wild Water Wave," I answered.

"Let me see what you can do first,"

I did the hand seals then placed my index and middle finger in front of me and collected chakra in my mouth for a few seconds then let out a strong blast of water from my mouth.

When the attack ended I looked at Yahiko to see him sweating. "What's wrong with it?"

"You mean it's good?" I asked innocently.

This made him sweat bullets. "Yes,"

I sheepishly laughed and scratched the back of my head. "Sorry, never mind then."

He grinned then patted my head. "Don't worry about it," He retracted his hand then jumped to the surface of the water. "Race you to the other side." He said as he dashed away.

"Hey! Yahiko-nii-san, no fair!" I yelled then ran after him laughing.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

"I think I can go back to the village with Takeshi without any regrets."

"Wha...?" Yahiko said as Nagato and Konan had a surprised look in their face.

The three finally defeated Jiraiya's clone and now Jiraiya was about to give them his speech. I have to admit I would actually miss them._ Damn feelings and connections._

"You three have done well these past three years. Now it's time you lived your own lives," Yahiko was shaking a bit and tears were falling down his face.

"Yahiko-nii-san, don't cry. Everyone might think you're a _wuss_, right?" I said with a sad smile. He wiped the tears from his eyes then tried to give me a grin.

"Konan... I can tell you'll be a real beauty... Come see me again when you turn 18!" Right after he said that I kicked his foot ruining the moment then said, "Jiraiya-san, don't be a paedophile!"

This caused all their eyes to widen and for Jiraiya to ask, "Where did you learn that word?"

"Dad and I were going home late one night when we came across a drunken old man. He tried to flirt with a random woman that was way younger than he was. So the woman punched him then called him a paedophile," I lied smoothly.

He shook his head dismissing the conversation. "As I was saying. You live in a very poor country... I'm sure that a lot of sad times still lie ahead... that's why you three have to work together to change things," He looked at all of them. "I'd say you three have all grown up. Right, Nagato?"

Nagato didn't say anything at first he instead had a determined look in his face. "Thank you... sensei."

Jiraiya gave them one last smile then started to walk away. I on the other hand tackled Konan.

"Bye, Konan-nee-chan," She hugged me back then said, "Don't forget us, okay?" I pulled back then hugged Yahiko.

"I promise when I grow up and the war ends I'll come visit," I felt him shake again.

"Y-you better keep that promise!" I pulled back.

"Of course I will,"

Lastly, I hugged Nagato. "Nagato-nii, watch over Yahiko-nii-san and Konan-nee-chan for me, please. Yahiko-nii-san tends to get reckless at times," I heard him chuckle slightly._ Whoa, he laughed!_

"I do not!" Yahiko retorted half-heartedly.

"Alright, enough of this. Takeshi we need to go," Jiraiya said with a smile.

I didn't let go of Nagato's waist I stared at him straight in the eyes waiting for his reply.

"I will."

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

We have been traveling for about a day and a half. Jiraiya was carrying me on his back so we traveled faster.

"Are we there yet?" I asked Jiraiya for the umpteenth time._ Classic and effective._

"Almost," He answered groaning as if he has waited to say the word for so long.

"Finally!" I cheered.

Almost after I said that the walls that surrounded the village became visible and in no time Jiraiya landed in front of the gates.

"Jiraiya-sama! It has been a while. May I ask where have you been?" I heard the guard ask surprised.

"I am not obligated to answer such question. I need to speak to Lord Hokage this news cannot wait any longer," He spoke with a monotone.

"Yes, Jiraiya-sama. Tooru!" As he said that the other ninja jumped away. He turned back to Jiraiya and eyed me suspiciously.

"Don't worry, the kid is with me," He nodded then let Jiraiya into the gates.

Jiraiya ran once more toward the Hokage building and didn't stop until he was face to face with the receptionist.

When I say face to face in this case I literally mean it. It's either because he was in a hurry or because the receptionist was a woman.

"Excuse me but I must speak to the Hokage this is urgent," He said with a serious tone.

"Of course, we have heard about this from one of the gate guards," She answered with understanding.

Jiraiya's aura suddenly changed. "Thank you. By the way-"

"Jiraiya-san! 'Urgent'." I reminded him._ So it was the latter assumption. Damn his perverted ways._

"Oh, right," He snapped at himself then proceeded to run upstairs.

It took a while but when we arrived in front of the door of the Hokage's office he gently lifted me from his back and told me to wait outside as he entered the room.

I stood there preparing for my talk with the Hokage. I heard muffled words and furniture moving. Shortly after, the doorknob twisted and the door opened.

I walked in and saw the Hokage and felt a few chakra signatures hiding._ Anbu._

"Kinju Takeshi, welcome back." He said with a smile.

I bowed to him, then decided to just say what I needed to say. "Hokage-san, can you please tell me how Sakumo-san died and for how long has he been dead?" I asked testing if he would tell me the truth.

He gave a long sigh and smoked his pipe before answering, "He took away his own life 4 months ago."

I pretended to look surprised. "Why? Sakumo-san won't just do that he's a reasonable person." I insisted.

"We are not entirely sure of his reason, but before he did he left a note addressed to me," He took out a piece of paper and held it out to me. "But mostly to you."

I eyed the paper before I hesitantly took it from him and opened it.

[_Hokage-sama,_]

[_If Takeshi ever comes back, please give him this. Protect him and Kakashi. Don't let the village treat him the same way they treated his parents._]

_Give this to me? _I looked down to see more writing so I continued to read.

[_Takeshi,_]

[_If you do return and if you are reading this, promise me to watch over Kakashi. He might be a little sensitive but don't be so hard on him. Try to understand him._]

[_Look inside my room you will find a chest there it has everything you need to know about your kekkei genkai and a few scrolls on basic ninjutsu. Your father prepared it for you when you were 10 months old, he told me to give it to you if anything were to happed to him._]

[_I never stopped believing that you will come back. I'm sorry for leaving and for failing to protect your father. You can hate me if you want, but don't hate the village and remember, I always loved you like you were my son._]

[_~Hatake Sakumo_]

I stood straight with a blank face while the paper I held was crumpled within my hands.

_Sakumo cared for me he believed that I would come back and father cared for me. Madara lied, he lied to me; he used my emotions against me._

_Sakumo is a nice person even when he was about to kill himself he remembered me. He trusted me, he loved me and Kakashi. Konoha made him suffer._

_I hate Konoha. Even if he told me not to hate the village I still do. I hate Madara for lying. I hate everything in this world._

"Where is Kakashi?" I asked then realized that it was the very first time that I said his name without the honorific.

"He is at the acad-" He didn't get to finish his sentence because I channeled chakra to my feet and ran as fast as I can toward the academy. It took me less than one minute to arrive at the front door of the building. I walked in and searched for Kakashi's chakra.

_Over there._

I was speed walking to his current location. Thankfully there were no teachers in the hallway and every class was in session. I walked up a flight of stairs but didn't slow down. I kept on walking until I found the room with Kakashi's chakra in it._ Room 215._

I straightened my shirt and sweat pants then ran a hand through my hair and eased my breathing. _Better make myself look normal and not like I lived in the streets._

I took a deep breath then knocked on the door. I heard noises from inside then footsteps nearing the door. When it opened I was greeted by none other than a young Nara Shikaku.

"Can I help you?" He drawled out.

_Shikaku was a teacher? How did he meet the requirements? More importantly, why?_

"I would like to speak to Hatake Kakashi, please." I said trying to talk normally._ So tired._

"Sorry kid, but I-"

"It's ok Shikaku, this is someone Kakashi knows," I heard someone say behind me.

"Jiraiya-san?" His eyes turned to me then widened. "Hatake Kakashi."

As Kakashi walked closer Jiraiya left, probably to give us some time alone for a mini reunion. I started to get nervous._ What if he doesn't recognise me?_

I went back to reality when I heard the door close and felt someone hug me tightly.

"You're alive. You're alive!"_ It has been a while since I last heard his voice. _I hugged him back as he shook.

"Don't do that again. You made everyone worry, you made me worry. We thought you were dead. Dad was right you're alive!" He held me tighter as if he was afraid that if he let me go I was going to vanish, again._ My life feels like one big déjà vu._

"Sorry, Kashi-nii." I felt something wet connect with my shoulder. Kakashi was crying, so I just let him hug me for a while.

Due to 'certain circumstances' Kakashi went home early and when we got there he wasn't crying anymore he instead switched to interrogating me.

"Where have you been?" He asked looking straight at me.

"I lived in the forest until Konan-nee-chan, Yahiko-nii-san, and Nagato-nii found me and brought me to Amegakure then Jiraiya-san trained us," He flinched when I mentioned Nagato.

"How did you survive before they found you?"

"I unlocked my kekkei genkai and I ate fruits and berries that I found," I answered with a sigh. "Thankfully none of them were poisonous."

"Kekkei genkai? You have one?" I nodded my head then headed for the door and opened it and ran to the nearest bush, Kakashi immediately followed me.

I showed him the same thing that I showed Jiraiya._ A mini leaf tornado. _His eyes widened. "Leaves? But isn't that the same jutsu that took you away?"

"I think they did some sort of transportation technique but failed to finish it when they died so that's why I ended up in the middle of the forest." I offered as an explanation._ That made some sense._

"Maybe..." He looked around then grabbed my wrist and pulled me back inside the house.

Once inside he quickly locked the door, looked out the windows and closed the curtains. Then hurriedly pulled me inside a room then went over to the futon.

"You look like you're about to collapse. You need to sleep." As soon as he said that I yawned and felt dizzy.

I stumbled over to the futon then lied down and pulled the blanket above my shoulder. I felt movement from behind me as Kakashi slipped in.

When he was under the covers I turned to him then asked, "Kashi-nii, how did you know it was me?"

He didn't answer first he just playfully ruffled my head. "You're my little brother. Even if you were gone for almost 10 months," He answered as he gave me a side hug. "I will never forget your chakra," He said and laughed. "Your eyes are a dead give-away too."

I started to silently cry as I held on to Kakashi's waist. I could take it anymore the happiness, sadness, grief, betrayal, and confusion was tearing me apart.

_**Happiness because of what Kakashi said. Sadness and Grief for Sakumo's death. Betrayal from Madara's lies. Confusion for my purpose and side... Emotions are a hindrance.**_

I let out Robin Odon. The sickly 13-year-old that just wants a normal and happy life. I remember hanging out with Ben when I was 11. Then at age 12, I got admitted to the hospital. My old family was not rich, not poor either. But there really just wasn't any hope for me. Relatives and friends visit, but visiting won't cure me. It just makes me think I'm about to die.

The life I wanted, no war, no sickness, no sudden deaths and, most importantly, no chakra. All the people who I care about alive. Mom, dad, Sakumo, and my parents, my first parents I want them back._** All of them.**_

I probably soaked Kakashi's shirt. Before I slept the last thing I said was, "Sorry for soaking your shirt, Kashi-nii."

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**If you expect the worst, you'll never be disappointed.**_

_**~Sarah Dessen**_


	6. Advancing Metal

**Word count: **3,875

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Jiraiya's P.O.V.**_

I felt the wind hit me as the boy ran out of the door. Sensei sighed and looked at me. "I want you to keep an eye on the boy for a while. Can I trust you with that?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," I answered walking out the door.

The boy intrigued me. He was not like other children. He was able to unlock his kekkei genkai at a young age, he was able to control the leaves with no problem and he even learned a few basic water techniques. He got along well with the three, especially Nagato, he has a positive effect on the kid.

When I finally found him he was knocking on one of the doors. When it opened Nara Shikaku greeted him lazily.

"Can I help you?"

"I would like to speak to Hatake Kakashi, please." The boy answered easily, but you can hear the slight strain in his voice if you listen carefully. He was out of breath.

"Sorry kid, but I-" I decided that this would be a good time to jump in and help the kid.

"It's ok Shikaku, this is someone Kakashi knows." He should know what I was talking about he is a high ranked, promising jonin, he should be well-informed about this.

"Jiraiya-san?" He turned to the boy then his eyes widened as realization hit him. He then called out Kakashi's name from the class.

As the other kid walked closer I went to go talk to Shikaku.

"Kakashi will be dismissed earlier... I hope you understand, Shikaku-san." I said with a hint in my voice. He kept his laid back aura as he nodded lazily.

Shikaku was assigned to teach Kakashi's class to keep an eye on the boy, a last request by Sakumo to the Hokage before he committed suicide.

I followed the two boys' home, planning on spying on them as I was ordered to do by Sensei, but they stayed inside for a long time so I decided to think about my novel.

_**Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja. **_I have worked on it ever since I started training the three orphans at Amegakure. When I finished it Nagato and Takeshi were the first to read it.

Nagato praised my work but Takeshi said, "It's really good... But if you're planning on publishing it I don't think now is the best time. When the war ends you would have a better chance of selling this. War time is not the time to sit down and read books after all."

_Should I publish it? Maybe, it wouldn't hurt to try. Maybe kids aren't as clueless as I thought they were._

_I hope it gets famous then I'd schedule a book signing. But if it's not a hit then I'll just write a different book._ I silently chuckled at the thought.

"Leaves? But isn't that the same jutsu that took you away?"_ Shoot! Why do I get so wrapped up with my thoughts, when I think about the book?_

I turned my head to see the two boys near a bush.

"I think they did some sort of transportation technique but failed to finish it when they died so maybe that's why I ended up in the middle of the forest," I heard Takeshi explain.

I narrowed my eyes. _That is exactly what happened. How did he reach to that conclusion?_

"Maybe," The silver-haired boy looked around then grabbed Takeshi's wrist, pulled him back inside the house then closed the door and windows, as if they were under attack.

_The boy sensed me? I need to be more careful._

I felt a presence appear behind me and turned to see an Anbu member.

"Jiraiya-sama, the Hokage requests you to return." He said emotionless. I nodded then ran back to the Hokage building.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Takeshi's P.O.V.**_

When I woke up it was still night I felt tired but I needed time to think alone. I carefully slipped out of Kakashi's grasp then placed a pillow beside him. He stirred a bit but didn't wake up._ Thank goodness he's not paranoid, though I'm assuming he will be._

I walked to the bathroom then turned on the sink and splashed my face with water. I kept my head down and held the side of the sink as I thought to myself.

_If Madara lied about Sakumo then what about Ena? Was she a lie too? Is she just someone who Madara created to get me to join his side? Why would he even need me? Whose side am I on, anyway?_

_I don't want to help Madara but he's the one training me to get stronger and my clone is stuck with him. If I release the clone then Madara will track me down. He probably made Zetsu put some sort of tracking device on me while I was sleeping._

_I don't want to help everyone else either but they're the ones that give me protection, or should I say, they provide me with my secret base of operations._

I know that I simply don't care what happens to anyone in this world, with the exception of Kakashi.

_So what exactly am I doing here?! _Something suddenly clicked in my mind.

_I can do absolutely nothing._

This world was already designed to make every person suffer. So why bother trying to change anything?_ Their future is already planned._

Madara tried to give them the peace they all wanted but they flamboyantly refused it and fought against him.

_But._

Once they defeat Madara, what happens next? What would they do? Would they make an alliance or something?

If they do, then who's to say that in the future no one would go against it?_ If there are protagonists there will always be antagonists._

What about the large number of casualties that will die because of the war? What are they going to do about those people? Honor them by carving their names on a piece of rock?

_Putting names on rocks won't bring anyone back._

Why do they even bother? No one really remembers every single person on that stone. They call those people heroes... But no one will ever remember each one of them, so what was the point of having their name carved on a rock?

_People are idiots._

They were offered peace and happiness but they refused it and decided to continue the never-ending war. People tend to accidentally punish themselves all the time.

_How convenient. In order to make everyone's life miserable all I have to do is sit and watch... Although, maybe a little tweak in the events won't change too much._

I grinned to myself and decided to end my train of thought for now and looked up to face the mirror and froze._ W-what?! N-no. This cannot be true. I refuse to believe this._

I shook my head then stared back at the mirror. I sighed, relieved._ Thank goodness it's gone._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

I paid the man for the goggles, slightly similar to what Shino wore during shippuden, thanked him and walked out the store with Kakashi in tow.

"What was it that you wanted to find again?"

"I don't really know what it's called, but I'm sure that I'll know it when I see it."

I was looking for a one-way mirror. We've been to several shops but none of them have it. I was starting to think that it didn't even exist until we went into a mirror shop and found one.

It was expensive. But luckily the chest that father left for me also had money in it. So I was able to buy it and I asked the man if he could replace the current plastic on the goggles that I bought earlier with the mirror.

He raised a brow but didn't question when I presented him with money. He told me to come back after a few hours and pushed both of us out the door.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" He asked demanding an answer.

"It's something that can help me if ever I needed to go on missions to certain lands."

He raised a brow. "You're already thinking about that?"

"In the future it might cost a lot more than it does now so it's better to gather supplies early," I reasoned. "Er... Kashi-nii, can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?" He asked as he narrowed his eyes at me.

"Can I attended the academy with you?"

"Sure... But I'm not leaving you alone if you're joining the first year class then so am I."

I gapped at him. "But weren't you accelerated? You shouldn't do that. Stay in your class, please. I can handle myself," I tried to convince him.

"No," He said with a tone that said 'don't argue with me'.

I sighed. "Then there's only one thing to do."

* * *

"I'm afraid I cannot allow that Takeshi-kun," The Hokage replied._ I'm getting desperate now._

"Please, Hokage-sama. I know that I will graduate a year later than my age group if I fail, but it's a risk I'm willing to make. Sakumo-san told me to watch over Kakashi and I'm planning on fulfilling his last request. I trained under Jiraiya-san so my knowledge should be fine. If you don't want to do it for Kakashi at least do it for Sakumo-san." I said with a monotone.

His eyes widened. "Why should I do it for him?" He asked cautiously. It took me a while to realize what I just said so I turned my slightly confused expression into an unimpressed one.

"Why? He's one of your most trusted ninja. He would do anything for the village to ensure its safety especially the safety of his comrades that he fights with. He grows connections with them, he cares for them. He is the only person that I know to this day that truly has the Will of Fire, as the first Hokage called it. He wants to protect the village and his friends. Don't you think that's something to look up to? Whoever worked with him in the past should honor him not be embarrassed just because he took away his own life. What is the real reason behind it anyway? I'm starting to think that you're all feeding me with false information." My face remained emotionless as I said all of it.

_Quick! Ladies and gentlemen give this kid an Oscar! Ha! I'm using the Will of Fire card on the Hokage._

I felt chakra flare inside the room and I suddenly found myself staring at 3 ANBU members and Danzo._ Shit! I took it too far._

"You are in no position to accuse the Hokage," One of the ANBU stated in monotone.

"Exactly and so are you," I retorted raising an eyebrow._ I will not have a very good reputation._

"Hiruzen?" Danzo said as if waiting for an order. He didn't have a single bandage in his face._ No sharingan yet?_

The Hokage shook his head no. "No. The child is mentally traumatized by the earlier events that happened for the past 9 months. There is no need for any assistance," He simply said._ Mentally traumatized? Good thinking Lord Bath robe!_

The ANBU and Danzo positioned themselves behind the Hokage and watched._ Creeps._

The Hokage gave a deep sigh. "All right. I will allow you to attend the same class as Kakashi," _And the Power of Guilt strikes again! _"You will start tomorrow." He said with a grand-fatherly smile. I kept my face blank as I nodded.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. I knew you weren't just an old man wearing a bath robe." Right after I said that I felt chakra outside by the window and heard laughter on the other side.

I went over to the window and opened it to see Jiraiya almost falling off the roof. "Jiraiya-san, were you spying on us?" I asked as if it had happened a million times.

Before he could answer I heard a knock on the door._ Kakashi?_

"Takeshi-kun you are dismissed." I bowed to the Hokage then opened the door with a smile.

"So, what did Hokage-sama say?"

"He said yes. I'll be in the same class as you tomorrow," I answered happily.

"That's great then," He said as he gave me a close-eyed smile.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Hiruzen's P.O.V.**_

"Jiraiya, you know what to do," He nodded and went outside.

I sighed and slumped on my chair._ The child deserves to know but... the village. _I sighed once more._ It happens more often these days..._

"Hiruzen, was that Kinju Takeshi?" I heard Danzo ask.

"Yes... Are you planning on recruiting him into Root when he is older?" I asked knowing full well that the answer would be yes.

"No," My eyes widened._ Or I could be wrong._

"Really? What is the reason this time?" Danzo tends to have strange answers.

"No... Not when he is older," He paused for a while before continuing. "If he does manage to graduate, I want to train him early. He has potential... And he knows how to manage his emotions." He answered.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "This early? What are you planning?" I asked suspiciously.

"If he was trained well he could be a very successful shinobi that would protect the village at any cost." I sighed._ He has a very unique way of protecting the village._

"Very well... But I'm not the one that you need to convince." I warned him.

"I know," He smirked. "The child is a perfect candidate." I mentally reminded myself to keep an eye on him.

_A smirking Shimura is not something you see every day._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Jiraiya's P.O.V.**_

"Kaka-nii-san, can I go to the Memorial Stone... Alone?"

The silver-haired boy flinched and his eyes saddened when Takeshi said the nickname, but quickly hid it and looked at the younger boy then smiled while patting his head.

"Sure... Don't take too long."

"Ok!" Takeshi grinned then ran off to training ground 3.

When he was out of sight I jumped down from the roof and landed gracefully next to the boy.

"You really care about him, don't you?" I stated as I looked at the boy

"Are you the person from yesterday?" He asked.

"Yes. Hokage-sama told me to keep an eye on him, if something is to happen again," I explained.

"What are you waiting for then, Jiraiya-san?" He asked not looking at me.

I chuckled then grinned at him. "So I'm assuming that he has mentioned me."

He nodded. "Yes. You and three other people," My gaze softened.

_He thinks Takeshi is mentally growing up too fast or changing because of the earlier events. He's afraid that he might not be needed anymore. No wonder he looked like he was about to cry when Takeshi addressed him differently._

I ruffled his hair which caused him to stiffen in contact. "Don't worry he will always need you," I said as I did the Ram hand seal and used the Body Flicker Technique to disappear from his sight.

I stopped as I reached the Memorial Stone and hid my chakra as I made myself comfortable on a tree branch.

When I looked down I saw a pouting Takeshi and a tall man with extremely pale skin and waist-length black hair, golden eyes with slits in his pupils and purple markings around his eyes. He wore a dark kimono shirt with violet lining over a mesh shirt, bandages that he uses as a sash, dark pants, and armour around his hips. _Orochimaru?!_

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Takeshi's P.O.V.**_

"This is sick. It's as if the village is implying that you get more acknowledgment once you die. Stupid." I said out loud to no one in particular.

"Really? Is that what you think?" I heard someone say._ That voice sounds familiar._

I turned to look at the person and saw none other than Orochimaru himself.

_Shit! Does he know about me and my kekkei genkai? _I mentally slapped myself._ Of course he does he's one of the Three Legendary Ninja. This is bad what if he wants to use me for experiments. More importantly, what if he wants my body as his vessel. I hope he's not doing experiments yet._

He chuckled at my flabbergasted state. "What's wrong, boy? You look like you've seen a ghost." He said as he walked over to me._ Think, Robin! Think of a believable reason._

When he was right in front of me I changed my expression and pouted for a while then grinned. "You're one of the Hokage's students, right Orochimaru-san? That's so cool! And you have gold eyes too! I thought I was the only one."_ Okay, good enough._

He smirked at me walking closer. Fortunately, Jiraiya suddenly landed next to us.

"Takeshi, maybe you should go back to your brother." He said with a smile._ Oh right... They're still 'friends'._

"Jiraiya I see you have returned. Did you give up on training those children? Or did you follow my suggestion?" Orochimaru said slyly which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand.

_Geez! This guy is a master when it comes to creeping the hell out of people. No wonder his village was called Otogakure. It sounds creepy and kind of disturbing._

Jiraiya scoffed at him. I thought it was the best time to flee. "Well, it was nice meeting you, Orochimaru-san." I said as I ran away from them and to the direction of the mirror shop that I went to earlier.

_What was Orochimaru doing there? Did Danzo tell him to spy on me? What was Jiraiya doing there? Is Orochimaru part of Root already?_

Once I picked up the item that I needed I placed it around my neck then I quickly returned to the Hatake residence.

"Did you hear? I've heard that the White Fang committed suicide."

I comically froze mid-step and jumped to a nearby tree and hid my chakra, when I heard two people talking.

The other one scoffed. "Well I don't care what happens to him. He's the reason were going to be at war again. He should have just completed his damn mission. He's a coward, thinking that dying is the best solution."

"You have a point there... His act was also selfish didn't he think about his son."

"Exactly and he's crazy, thinking the Kinju kid would come back. The kid's been gone for 10 months. The brat would most likely be dead by now."

"Yeah, and who cares about anyone from the Kinju anyway? Didn't one of them help Madara in his attempt to defeat Shodaime?"

My blood boiled with every word that they said. _So Ena wasn't a lie after all... Well that was one thing that Madara said that isn't a lie. _The leaves around me were separating from the tree and the wind was getting colder.

One of the men shuddered. "Sheesh! I'm getting goose bumps maybe we should stop talking."

"Agreed."

_How dare they say those things about Sakumo?! These people are scum!_

Anger was rising inside me. My vision turned red so I covered my eyes with the goggles._ Breathe and jump away. Breathe and jump away._

I chanted to myself as I continued my way back to Kakashi. When my emotions were finally intact I removed my goggles and let it hang around my neck.

I saw Kakashi standing outside the house waiting for me with his arms crossed._ What did I do this time?_

"Hi, Kaka-nii-san! Did I take too long?" I asked.

"1 hour," He answered somewhat annoyed.

"Sorry... Hey look on the bright side! I'm going to join your class tomorrow!" I said enthusiastically.

His eyes softened at me and quickly gave me a smile. "Come on, let's go inside. I have some left over rice balls we can eat."

"Ok."

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Clone's P.O.V.**_

"I am so bored."

Ever since they took original me outside I have learned a handful of water techniques that Madara knows, which were all, high level techniques. I haven't perfected any of them yet but I already get the idea on how to do most of them. I just needed more practice, chakra control and time, lots of time.

Zetsu wasn't much of any help aside from throwing rocks at me when I train with substitution jutsu on the ceiling.

"Takeshi, I want you to send a message to the real version," Madara said.

"What is it, Uchiha-sama?"_ Finally, even though it's just a message, it's still something to do._

"I want you to tell him to release you and to meet Zetsu. Ask him for the place then report it to me before you get released." He ordered._ Release the jutsu? It seems that Madara had a change in plans._

"Yes, Uchiha-sama," I closed my eye then concentrated until I was in a white room. _Perfect real version is sleeping._

Seconds later I saw myself. "Madara wants you to release the clone jutsu and meet up with Zetsu."

"Change in plans?"

"He didn't say anything about the new plan but Zetsu would probably tell you."

"Oh. I see... So what's the place?"

"He wants you to think of a place. None of us is entirely sure of your schedule so he wants to play it safe and make you decide."

"All right then, tell Zetsu to meet me near the academy by the trees around noon."

"I see what you're trying to do."

We had a long awkward pause until he decided to break it.

"You know, even though you're my clone it feels like I'm talking to a different person when I have a conversation with you." He said.

"Yeah I know. So release the jutsu 10 minutes after you wake up, ok? I still need to report to Madara."

"Sure. I'll wait 10 minutes before I intentionally give myself a head ache," I grinned at him then cut the conversation.

When I opened my eyes I was back in the cave.

"Uchiha-sama, he told me that he will meet Zetsu near the academy at noon. He's planning on playing ninja with the kids and use the trees nearby as a hiding spot."

"Very well... Zetsu."

"Yes, Madara-sama," He complied while grinning.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them as much.**_

_**~Oscar Wilde**_


	7. Century's Explanation

**Word count: **4,102

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Takeshi's P.O.V.**_

"You can do this, you can do this, Robin-er, Takeshi. It's just pain, a small head ache; it won't kill you." I said to myself._ Well this is the first time I'll ever hurt myself on purpose._

I already woke up and almost 10 minutes have passed. I was in the bathroom again trying to calm myself and preparing for the worst. My clone has been with Madara for a month, so most likely my clone has trained and absorbed knowledge like crazy.

I was not a big fan of pain, my brain might overload with information once I release the clone._ But if I don't do it sooner more memories would pile up which would lead to more pain. _I groaned in annoyance._ I guess I don't have much of a choice._

I turned to look at the clock._ It's past 10 minutes._ I took a deep breath then did the _ram _hand seal. _Release!_

At first I felt a sudden jolt in my system all the chakra that my clone had come back to me. Then nothing, I stood staring at the mirror, dumbfounded.

_Ok... I guess it's not that bad after all. _I thought as I walked out the door and closed it._ I can't believe I freaked for nothing. _I let out a small, nervous laugh.

As I walked over to Kakashi to wake him I suddenly felt my head throb painfully. I gasped in pain and fell on my knees with a thud.

My head was overloading. Information after information flooded my brain. A wave of water techniques went into my mind as I hyperventilated. My chakra was going haywire and the pain in my head didn't stop.

Seconds later I felt something wrap around me and footsteps coming closer.

"What's happening?"_ Jiraiya?_

"I don't know. I woke up when I felt his chakra jump all over the place. Help him!" I heard panic in his voice._ Kakashi? I feel bad for waking him up. Wait... that's what I was supposed to do._

I felt chakra over my head, it was green and it was helping me calm down._ Medical Ninjutsu?_

My head slowly returned to normal after a few minutes. I managed to even out my breathing as I kept my head down and loosened the grip I had on my head. My vision blurred as I blacked out.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Kakashi's P.O.V.**_

His chakra and breathing returned to normal as his hands separated from clutching his head.

_What happened to him? He's been acting strange ever since he returned... Maybe it's my fault._

"It's not your fault." The Jiraiya-san said as if reading my thoughts. He retracted his hands from Takeshi's head as the green glow disappeared.

"What happened?" I asked, concerned. He sighed and paused before answering my question.

"I honestly don't know either. Not a lot is known about the Kinju clan. Even the Uzumaki who were allied with them did not have very much information about their kekkei genkai; they are a very secretive clan. We can only assume that this is something that happens through their growth; or it could be something else." He explained and gave a deep sigh.

"Only someone from his clan would know. But unfortunately he is the only one left. Well, at least the only one we know, we haven't seen any other people with the same abilities. But we are looking for them, they are our allies, much like the Uzumaki."

I looked down at my self-proclaimed little brother and adjusted him in my arms._ That means I'm the only person left that he considers as family._

Jiraiya-san started to walk out the door. Before he left he said, "Take care of the boy. I'm not going to be staying in the village for very long. Remember, he will always need you." He again used the _Body Flicker Technique_ to flee.

I felt Takeshi move then stir in my arms and he looked at me with confused eyes.

"Kaka-nii-san, what happened? Why do you look-"

I smiled as I cut him off. "Don't worry about it. We need to get ready for the academy. Classes start at 8, it's already 6 we still need to eat and we live kind of far from it. Go take a bath." I said with ease.

He continued to give me a calculating gaze but stopped and smiled. "Ok! But if something is wrong tell me; I'm a good listener." He said as he stood up and went to the bathroom.

_Something during his time in the forest happened, aside from him unlocking his kekkei genkai... What is it?_

I sighed then made my way to the kitchen to get some left over rice balls._ We seem to have a lot of those._

I took a small pot and filled it halfway with water and turned on the stove boil the water. Then I took two rice balls then placed them on top of a strainer and placed it on top of the boiling water to steam it then used the pot's lid to cover it.

_Whatever it is I'll help him if he decides to discuss it with me. _I glared at the pot._ Secrets act like a barrier, they are a hindrance._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Takeshi's P.O.V.**_

Kakashi and I were walking towards the academy. Thankfully he bought the act and didn't question me.

He wore a simple black jacket and a green scarf with a pattern that reminded me of a character from a video game and I wore a plain black hooded jacket, shorts with multiple pockets and my new goggles hung loosely around my neck.

As we walked along the hallway I bumped into someone, literally.

"Hey! Watch where you're going," He screamed. I shook my head then looked to see Obito on the ground in front of me.

"Hi, Obito-nii, long-time no see." I greeted nonchalantly.

"Eh? Obito-nii? Only one person calls me that," His eyes widened. "Whoa, it's you! Mikoto-san's little brother. Where have you been?"

"Uh... places?" I offered._ He still thinks Mikoto and I are related. Do I really look like an Uchiha? Please, say no._

He scoffed "Liar, be honest though where have you been?"

"Don't you need to go to your class, dead last?" Kakashi asked annoyed.

Obito was about to shout at Kakashi but I stopped him. "Wait I just remembered, I promised to teach you chakra control... but you already joined the academy so I'm assuming that you already unlocked you chakra."

He grinned proudly and adjusted his goggles. "Sure did and get this, I can stick a leaf on my forehead and three on my fingertips _at the same time_."

"That's good then," I said unsure on how to react. _Was that supposed to impress me?_

"So, which class are you in?" He asked with a hopeful expression.

"I'm in the same class as Kaka-nii-san," I answered happily.

"Kaka-nii-san," He muttered confused then his eyes widened. "What?! But he's in the graduating class! How did you get in there?"

"I've trained?" I offered as an explanation and he seemed to buy it.

"Is that what you've done while you were gone?"

"Yes,"_ Advantages of having an idiotic friend. You can get away with a lot of things._

He grinned at me then placed an arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry about helping me, continue that training of yours. Once I become Hokage you're going to be my right hand man."

"I'll be looking forward to that, Uchiha-san." I said truthfully._ I am going to be his right hand man, just not as the Hokage._

"Hello Kakashi-kun, Obito," I heard a girl greet them happily. I looked at the person and saw Nohara Rin.

"Hello," I greeted as Kakashi sighed in annoyance but nodded his head as a greeting and Obito blushed.

"Y-yeah, hi, Rin-chan," He greeted as his blush deepened._ He is head over heels for this girl._

"Hello, who are you?" She said tilting her head sideways.

"I'm Kinju Takeshi, you?"

"Nohara Rin," She smiled.

"Nice meeting you Rin-nee-chan," Her eyes widened.

"Nee-chan?"

"Takeshi we need to go. I don't want to be late," Kakashi interjected. I pouted then sighed.

"Fine," I drawled out as he pulled me by the wrist.

Before we got inside the classroom door I saw a blushing Obito and a confused Rin murmuring "Kaka-nii-san?" Her face flushed after realizing who I was talking about.

* * *

"My name is Kinju Takeshi. Nice to meet you all." I said while smiling at the class. Numerous hands went up right after I introduced myself so I expected the worst.

"How old are you?" After that was asked all hands went down.

"5," I answered as I started to sweat.

All heads turned to Kakashi who was unfazed by the attention directed at him.

"All right Takeshi go sit at any empty seat," I nodded then went over to sit beside Kakashi as the teacher started the lesson.

"Today we are having a test on the Clone Technique. Everybody step up here and make a copy of me,"_ Deja vu._

"Can I go first, sensei?" I asked._ Better keep the image fresh in my mind._

Some of the kids sighed in relief while other raised their eyebrows at me and started to murmur among themselves.

"Fine then, just make sure to remember the hand seals," I nodded then proceeded to do the seals.

I finished then molded my chakra and concentrated on what Shikaku looked like.

Mesh shirt, jonin vest, sweat pants, open-toe shoes, tan skin, black hair tied in a ponytail that resembles a pineapple, and most importantly no scar and a younger face.

Smoke covered me then my form started to change. When the smoke cleared I was standing next to Shikaku, same height, same slouch, and the same outfit.

"Good. Next!" I released the jutsu then went back to my desk and waited for everybody to have their turn. Some kids called me a 'show-off', but I ignored them.

_It's best not to waste my time with children. I need to meet up with Zetsu at lunch but how do I get rid of Kakashi?_

* * *

Lunch came and Kakashi and I were eating our lunches under a tree with a few of Kakashi's fan girls on sight.

At first I thought fan girls were rabid and obsessed creatures but now I think they're pretty cool. They gave me rice balls and one of them gave me dango.

They immediately found out that I was close to Kakashi and now they're all acting like a mom to me. It was annoying and enjoyable at the same time.

"Hey who wants to play ninja?" Someone shouted._ Finally I was waiting for someone to ask that._

"Kaka-nii-san, can I play?" I asked hopefully.

"Sure just don't go too far," He said.

"Ok! Thank you," I said as I went over to the kids.

"Hi! Can I join?"

"Sure! You know the rules right?" I nodded.

"Ok let's get started. Masayuki you're it this time."

"All right! I'll find you all. 1 minute flat," He said confidently, which made me inwardly smirk.

_I'd like to see you try._

He started to count and every kid scrambled to different directions.

I went behind the school hid my chakra then ran straight into the forest. I stopped at a tree and climbed it to rest on the branch._ It's relaxing... I can stay here all day._

"Comfortable?" I heard an old friend say.

"Hi, Zetsu-nii. What did Uchiha-sama want me to do?" I asked hurriedly knowing that we don't have much time.

"He wanted me to give you these," He said as he gave me a scroll.

"'These'? Don't you mean 'this'?" I asked raising a brow.

He grinned. "It's a storage scroll. It has everything that Madara-sama wants you to learn. He said that it would be better if you trained with all of your chakra with you than half of it in a clone."

"Oh... So, now I'm working as a full-on infiltrator?"

"Yes," He answered as his grin widened.

"How am I supposed to report to Uchiha-sama now?"

"He wants you to work on your own until we get Obito. For the time being you're staying here to train and gain everyone's trust."

"It's either he completely trusts me or he chipped me," I guessed sarcastically.

"Or it could be both," He said as he disappeared inside the tree.

_Both, really? _I sighed._ I guess I'm on my own now... That's great, no more Madara, sudden death, creepy caves, and dark places!_ I inwardly cheered.

"Hey Goldy! We give up you can come out now." I heard someone shout from a distance. _Goldy? Couldn't they be more immature? _I sarcastically thought.

I placed the scroll in one of my pockets then Body Flickered over to the tree Kakashi was resting at and saw everyone looking for me, even Kakashi was occasionally looking around.

I laughed at them. "How long have they been at it?"

"About 8 minutes, Masayuki actually found them all in less than 1 minute and if you weren't such a master at hiding then he would have found all of you, 1 minute flat like he claimed earlier." Kakashi answered.

I chuckled to myself. "Hey guys, I'm over here!"

Kids started to pool below and Kakashi jumped next to me, avoiding the crowd.

"Where were you?" Masayuki asked.

"It's a secret hiding place that I found. So I'm not telling."

"No fair Takeshi!" Obito shouted.

"Life isn't fair, Uchiha-san." I retorted lazily.

"That is irrelevant!" A girl with blonde hair said.

"Actually, if you really think about it, it's relevant in many ways," I said while looking up.

She pouted then huffed. "Whatever let's play again. This time you're it," She said with a smirk.

"Sure," I answered with a sigh as I thought._ Kids will be kids._

* * *

I found all of them and gathered them in a circle and looked at my age group then realized something._ I am very short._

Everyone was taller than me, even Kakashi. I suddenly felt his chakra next to me._ Speak of the devil and the devil shall come, they said._

He patted my head. "Nice, you're pretty good at this."

"Thanks... Hey, Kaka-nii-san let's play tag," I said as I poked him on the shoulder. "You're it." Then jumped away landing on a tree branch and ran as he chased after me like we used to.

"Hey, I want to join!" I heard Obito shout from a distance. I laughed at him.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

Shikaku and the teacher for the lower 'grade' thought it was idea to let the the two classes spend some time together. To learn how to work with people of different ages.

Every kid talked and laughed freely while the teachers were away. Unlike everyone else I scanned the room for familiar faces while holding up a book to my face.

_Uchiha Obito... _I narrowed my eyes and focused on the orange-obsessed Uchiha.

_How long is this going to take? _I thought glancing at the slow moving clock. Shaking it off I began to refresh my memory.

* * *

_Madara's expression remained blank. "Show me your dream, boy." His sharingan spun, in a second they are trapped in a genjutsu; inside a white room. Looking around I saw a younger version of Madara, which I easily recognized. "Show me this dream." He repeated._

_I gave him a quizzical look. "How?"_

_"Think about it." Madara answered flatly._

_"O-okay?" I stuttered, sensing something off with the Uchiha._

Senju Hashirama. Uchiha Madara. Nine-tails. Uzumaki Mito. Madara with a Zetsu clone and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. A blurred version of the Akatsuki. Naruto. A red moon with the Rinnengan markings and 7 Sharingan comma marks.

_After seeing this Madara's face held no expression, obviously in deep thought. I fidgeted because of the silence._

_"You know too much." Madara finally stated, walking closer me._

_My lack of motor-control made me back away from Madara. Though my efforts were deemed useless when my back connected with an invisible wall._

_Madara stopped inches away from me and went down to my level. "Join me or die," He said plain and simple then added, "Although... It would be such a shame to dispose of someone with a gift such as yours."_

_Feeling hopeless and slightly stupid I asked. "W-why?"_

_"You owe me." Madara claimed._

_"I owe you? I don't understand."_

* * *

"Takeshi." I flinched when a voice called my name.

I smiled brightly as I turned to face my silver-haired friend. "What is it, Kaka-nii-san?"

"Nara-sensei, just came in and said we can go." Kakashi answered.

"Ok, let me just gather my things; I'll follow you outside."

Kakashi smiled under his mask and nodded. "Don't take too long."

* * *

_"Your clan originated from Uzushiogakure. Kinju and Uzumaki, being the only two clans in the village, were allies. They protected the village with everything that they can give, no matter how small." Madara started._

_"You know about my clan?" I asked skeptically._

_"Kinju Ena, the heiress of the Kinju clan, was a close friend of Uzumaki Mito. Ena had strong feelings for that man. When she found out about their engagement, she grew hatred for the Uzumaki."_

_"E-na?" I said, thinking. _This is not a part of the timeline.

_Madara eyed me before continuing. "She made up a lie about the Senju and Uzumaki. She tried to convince the Kinju to rebel agaisnt them. Being the heiress does not automatically mean everyone will listen to her. She is just the heiress not the leader. The clan didn't believe her claiming, she had no solid evidence. In anger and disappointment she ran away and trained in the forest where I met her. At first I was reluctant about joining forces with a female, but she proved herself worthy of our time. We accepted and the three of us went off to battle that man and his brother we almost won..." He paused for a long time._

_"When I accepted the truce, Ena was furious. She said, I would never achieve peace and everything will happen over and over... That the world will never gain peace. She said everything in this world is in a never-ending loop... It took one look at a rock to finally realize, that she's right." He paused again._

_"During my battle with that man she secretly aided me. After I escaped she found me, she never explained how. All she said is, it's a clan ability. While she helped me recover she wasn't able to take care of herself. She died due to exhaustion and an incurable disease she never told me about." He paused yet again._

_"Before she died she made me promise to create the perfect world I always talked about, where every living being's dream would come true..."_

_The surroundings changed back to a dark cave._

_As I listened to Madara's story only one thing ran through my mind._

I narrowed his eyes and scowled._ This is ridiculous... And yet it is happening. I don't think Madara was being completely honest during that time with all the pauses, or was it for effect? And what does he mean I owe him? He hasn't cleared that up yet._

I turned to glare at the clock._ Oh, dang! It's been 5 minutes._

* * *

At some point after my return I was summoned to the Hokage building with Kakashi to meet Mikoto, Kushina, Fugaku, and Minato.

They all greeted me happily, Kushina with a bone crushing-er I mean _affectionate _hug, Mikoto with a slightly less _affectionate _hug, and a pat on the head from Minato.

I don't know about Fugaku but I thought him nodding his head as a greeting was enough to make me latch to his leg and say, "You do care after all, Fugaku-nii-san!". This made him uneasy like the last time, which was a long time ago._ 1 year and 4 months?_

After our mini reunion the Hokage informed me that if I was able to graduate early someone was waiting to take me under their tutelage. I was cautious at first, but the Hokage assured me that the person was a good friend of his.

Although that might sound reassuring to some, it made me worry even more. I'm not familiar with the Hokage's friends during this time period so I didn't know what to expect.

In the end I accepted the offer thinking._ Any help would be good enough as long as it's not Orochimaru, or Danzo._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

4 months passed and now I was about to find out, Kakashi was already with Minato as I was now sitting impatiently on the floor of the Hokage's office.

The genin exam in this time period is different from the canon one, they have higher standards.

The requirements were within the 10 minute time limit we should be able to use the _Substitution Technique_, _Clone Technique_, and be able to hit three targets while sparing with a slightly experienced genin.

_Villages sure do have higher standards during war-time. _But no worries, all I had to do was hit a pressure point in the end to make him faint so I would have enough time to throw my kunai at the targets._ 8 minutes flat... Well, flat-ish._

The sound of the door opening pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned my head to see Shimura Danzo.

"Takeshi, this is Shimura Danzo. He is the person that requested to train you," The Hokage informed me._ Danzo, of all the people...? Why him? Did I leave a good impression on him when we first met?_

_A good impression is better than a bad one._

"My name is Kinju Takeshi. It's nice to meet you again, Shimura-san. Although our first meeting wasn't one to remember I hope I left a decent impression." I said careful with the words that I use.

"All I am asking for is permission to train you. I would like an answer as soon as possible, Takeshi." He said with an uncaring tone._ Well that was very straight forward. _I stood there thinking about the offer.

_If he wants to train me then it's probably because he wants to have my kekkei genkai on his side. This could either be a chance to infiltrate the inner security of Konoha or really bad luck._

_I don't even know what his plans are at the moment. I'm not sure what he's going to do during the non-canon parts of the story..._

_Wait, maybe training with him would give me some insight on what goes on... it might also give me the chance to meet Yamato. If I remember correctly he used to be part of Root._

"Um, I think, I'm going to accept your offer, Shimura-san. But aren't you controlling the ANBU unit? Wouldn't training a child be a hindrance to your schedule?" His face stayed emotionless but a hint of amusement could be faintly seen.

"Since you accepted my offer I think I can answer a few of your questions once we find a more secluded place," He turned to the Hokage. "Hiruzen I will be taking the child with me."

"Very well," The Hokage answered unsure on how to react to the situation. He gave me a worried look which I returned with a wide grin.

"Please tell Kakashi that I might be home late. He would freak out if you don't."

"Of course, good luck," He said with a faint smile.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names.**_

_**~John F. Kennedy**_


	8. Shimura's New Drone

**Word count: **2,959

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

We were walking across a cold and empty hallway. All doors were shut and not a noise was heard; the silence is making me uncomfortable.

We stopped in front of a door that looked identical to the others I've seen before. I waited for him to open it and followed him as he went inside.

The room had cold stone walls, a desk in the middle with two chairs on either side. The only light provided was coming from an oil lamp that was placed in the middle of the table.

He sat down on one of the chairs and motioned for me to sit. I calmly walked over then sat down.

"First of all, I do not control ANBU. I am the founder and leader of a slightly different branch called Root. We work to protect the village no matter what the costs may be."

_So, that means Root is a branch of ANBU that works differently and it has different priorities and requirements when it comes to candidates._

"Why did you choose me to be part of this organization?"

"The 'scene' you made in Hiruzen's office caught my attention. I have noticed that you kept your emotions intact even as you were ranting. You simply know how to act in different situations and hide your true emotion." He said without missing a beat.

_Has he been spying on me? What a stalker... Wait a second, that's my job._

I decided to voice out my thoughts. "For how long have you been gathering information about me, Shimura-san?"

He kept his face blank. "3 days after meeting you. I still had to consider some things before I fully made my choice and placed you in a category in my division."

_3 days? That's good that means he doesn't know about Zetsu. But what about Jiraiya?_

"Root is a new division and you are one of its first members. About your category I have decided that you would be put in the Infiltration and Information Gathering _team_." He hit the target dead center._ That's exactly what I'm doing now._

"As a member of Root you must follow certain rules. Never show emotion, Never trust anyone outside the organization, Always listen to your superiors, Never mention the organization in any way, Always complete a mission, and Protect the village at any costs. If you are certain that you would be able to follow these rules then I shall welcome you into the organization if not, you must give your word and never speak of this meeting to any living being... So, what is your choice?"

_Living like a robot sure sounds boring. But if it helps get me Intel then I guess I wouldn't mind. My life is already messed up anyway so why bother trying to live a normal one. But, this _protect the village at any costs _thing is something that I have no opinion on._

"I will join," I decided.

_I can already see it, mission after mission, bloodshed and sleep deprivation. That's the life planned for me. Live life to the fullest!_

"I am glad to have you in here," He said not sounding glad at all but rather stoic. "Your training will begin tomorrow. The first mission that will be assigned to you will depend on how well you do in training... May I ask if you know what element you have an affinity over?"

I debated on whether I should tell him but quickly dismissed the mental argument and just decided on informing him and not mess up my head.

"I have an affinity over water and my other elements are wind and lightning."

"Water, I have heard that you were personally taught some techniques by one of the Hiruzen's students, Jiraiya, is that true?" He asked eager to get more information from me.

"Yes,"

He closed his eyes thinking. I took this opportunity to look around with my eyes.

_Escape routes: Door. Possible weapons: Lamp, Table, Chairs. Is that a mouse-hole? Wonder where it goes to?_

"Tomorrow we will meet at the Hokage's office, 6am sharp. It will become part of your routine. Bring scrolls if you want to. Inform your brother beforehand that you will most likely won't be at home most of the time."

"Yes, Shimura-san," I said with a bow.

He gave a slight nod. "You are dismissed."

I knew it was a bad idea to get close to Danzo, but I need information from him. It might take a while but I'll get what I want.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**Wake up, eat, train, eat, and sleep.**

That's how my day goes ever since I started my training. Lately Kakashi has been worried about me, he said I looked like a ghost the first few weeks, and how can I not?

Every day I wake up at 5 in the morning, I meet Danzo then he makes me spar with another member every day; sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. After the spar he makes me practice my accuracy and weapon skills. Meditation for 2 hours, which means sitting cross-legged on the ground for 2 hours doing nothing but breathing then dealing with a sleeping leg after. For the rest of the day it was ninjutsu, perfecting my water techniques and learning the Shadow Clone Technique. By the time I return home it's already 9 in the evening

* * *

My enemy was slowing down his punches and kicks weren't as powerful and coordinated like they used to. He kept on attacking me with kunai and many fire jutsu. He was out of breath, weapons and chakra while I was about to fall asleep any minute.

I'm in the middle of fighting a chunin and this was supposedly my chunin exam. Due to the starting war we weren't able to properly do the exams. So instead we had to battle a chunin. To get promoted you have to win the fight by either making the other forfeit, knocking him out or killing him, simple as that.

I was debating on whether to kill or knock him out, but in the end I decided to do both; with the exception of really killing him. I don't want my first kill to be a ninja from Konoha.

I jumped away then created a shadow clone to deal with him as I hid by the lone tree in the stadium. Unsurprisingly, he was too tired to see through my plan so he battled my clone believing it was me while I sat on the tree rummaging through my pouch for senbon.

He punched and kicked my clone several times before it disappeared with a cloud of smoke. He was surprised and before he knew it I had already thrown my senbon with deadly accuracy. It planted itself on his neck where there was a vein that if pierced would temporarily kill him for 1 hour. He dropped dead on the ground after a second of silence.

I jumped down from the tree and went over to his side to take the senbon out of his neck, careful not to accidentally kill him for real. The referee went to my side and asked if he was still alive.

"No, but he will be in an hour just bring him to the hospital to rest." I answered with a monotone.

He nodded his head uneasily as he eyed me skeptically.

Danzo who was watching the fight talked to me afterwards and told me that I needed to focus on the battle. I replied with a nod and accidentally said, "See you tomorrow." But I didn't care I had bigger problems.

* * *

"Takeshi you need to take a break from training. You almost got hit by a kunai earlier." Kakashi pinched his thumb and forefinger and made a small gap. "You were this close to losing. If you're not going to listen then I'm going to talk to the Hokage about this."

"Kakashi, you worry too much. I'm fine I can handle this." I drawled out. My vision was blurred I was slowly falling asleep as Kakashi carried me on his back on the way home.

He didn't say anything he just winced as if I punched him.

"Kakashi, you ok?" No reply. I sighed then just ignored him and tried my best not to fall asleep.

When we finally reached the house he placed me back on the ground. I stumbled a little but managed to have enough control to keep myself up and not sleep by the door. Once inside I headed straight for the bedroom and changed into a shirt and a pair of shorts before literally falling on the futon, which hurt a bit.

Before falling asleep Kakashi asked me a question. "Why do you do this to yourself?"

"I just don't want to feel helpless again." Was my half-honest answer before I fell asleep.

* * *

"Congratulations, you all passed the chunin exams." Hiruzen beamed at us.

I smiled, which caught Kakashi's attention. This was probably the first time he saw me smile ever since I started training with Root, so I guess he was surprised.

When the other kids left I followed them thinking of how late I am for training, but Kakashi pulled me back in.

I growled at him annoyed. "Kakashi I'm going to be late for training, let me go." I said scowling, half-heartedly pulling my arm from his grip.

He ignored me and turned to the Hokage's direction as I felt a chakra signature appear. "Hokage-sama, I would like to request a day off for Takeshi today. I don't think he's getting any sleep." I heard Minato say.

I scowled again._ What is he doing here? _"I've had enough sleep, Minato-san. What I really need to do is to head over to my mentor before-"

"I think a day off would be a good idea, Takeshi," Hiruzen said.

"But-"

"I'll talk to your mentor about this. You don't need to worry about anything, rest for the day. That is an order."

I sighed. "Yes, Hokage-sama,"_ I can't really disobey an order from the Hokage, can I?_

"Good, now please leave I have an important meeting to attend to."

"Let's go kids," Minato said with a smile as he took hold of Kakashi and I then used his _Flying Thunder God Technique _to take us to training ground 5.

"Takeshi, how many sleepless night have you had?" He asked still smiling.

"I don't know... What I do know is, I didn't sleep last night." I answered not caring what he would say.

"What? Why?" Kakashi asked.

"I was just looking through the scrolls that dad left for me and tried to master some of the techniques on it. It was a piece of cake." I said enthusiastically.

"You were training in the middle of the night alone, outside?!" Kakashi questioned.

"Yup! Don't worry the forest is my home base. No one can kill or capture me as long as I'm near a tree. You worry too much Kakashi-Wait! Didn't you say you were going to talk to the Hokage? How come it was Minato-san that went to converse with him?"

"He gets very talkative and dangerously honest when he's deprived of sleep." Minato noted to himself as Kakashi listened to him.

"I don't know about _dangerously honest_ but talkative could work. Hey what if I visit Obito or Rin today!"

"No, you are not doing that; you're going to rest," Kakashi said.

"I wonder how bad I look. I'm guessing terrible because of the way you're acting. I remember saying something about not getting enough sleep once we're ninjas, I was right about that!" I exclaimed as I punched the air above me.

"Kakashi, we are taking him back to your house before he collapses," Minato said as he placed me on his back.

"Minato-san, are we going to do the very fast travel thingy again?" He laughed at my nickname for his one of a kind technique.

"Yes, yes we are. I won't take long, stay here and wait instead Kakashi."

"Yes, sensei,"

Then we were off again. I fell asleep before he placed me down on the futon.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

"As a chunin I am now giving you your first mission as a member of Root." I wonder if he's going to send me to kill someone._ Dark, yes but not impossible._

"I want you to become a spy and live at Kirigakure." He ordered._ Kirigakure? Why there...? Did he just say live there?!_

"Excuse me, Shimura-san, but did you say that you want me to live at the village?"

"Yes,"

"But wouldn't someone get suspicious?"

He didn't say anything and instead began to think quietly to himself as I did the same.

_Kiri... Kisame is from the Hidden Mist. He's one of the most loyal members of the Akatsuki... Madara did tell me to make connections with important people... Or maybe I should avoid Kisame... What about Kakashi? What do I tell him?_

Then an idea suddenly hit me. "Oh, maybe that could work." I thought out loud.

Danzo opened his eyes to look at me. "What could work?"

"I can make a clone that would infiltrate the village. If I do that I might be able to spy on village without needing to leave Konoha."

"Show me," I nodded and made the hand seals for Leaf Puppets Technique. I concentrated on the important details as I made the figures.

The Mist spy was a small child no older than 5 with long blue hair and black irises with pale white skin. He wore a tattered white shirt and black shorts. He looks like an orphan in the streets.

I transferred half of my chakra to the figure. After finishing the preparations I let go of the clone as it began to twitch.

It blinked a few times before stretching and talking. "_Wow never tried this technique before. You think this would fool them?_" It asked in English as it turned to me.

"_Of course, now shut up for a while, the old man here gives us his orders._" I answered back liking the way my voice sounded when speaking in my native tongue.

"What do we have here?" Danzo asked intrigued.

"This was what I was thinking. We send _him _instead of me."

"Him? You created a fully functional human being?!" He asked surprised._ Oh this is priceless._

"Actually, he's closer to a combination of _Shadow Clone Technique _and _Transformation Technique_. He does not have a mind of his own he just has the same memories, personality and abilities as me. I transferred half of my chakra into my creation in order for him to use ninjutsu." I tried to explain.

"That is a rather handy technique. I was right about you being an expert with infiltration."

"Thank you, Shimura-san. Do you mind if I ask, when exactly are you planning on sending him away?"

"Today, I am going to send a Root member over to the border that separates the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. You say that he has the same abilities as you so I am assuming that he can turn into leaves as well," I nodded confirming his statement.

"So when the Root member reaches the border I'm on my own?" My puppet asked.

"Yes and we will leave the rest to you. You only need to remember one thing, never get caught." Danzo said.

"I see, so what is my name going to be?" At this Danzo left the room to assign a member.

"Harumi," I said blankly, while chuckling in my head.

"What? But that's a girl's name!" He protested.

"Correction, Harumi is a unisex name, although more commonly used for women but it can also be used for men. The way you write it is like this." I controlled the leaves and wrote **晴海 **on the ground. "It means sunny, sea. Not that bad, right?"

"It's still a girl's name," He continued to argue.

I decided to speak in English. "_But think about all the mind screwing you can do._"

He considered it then maniacally laughed. "_I shall trick them all. Mwuahaha._"

I started to sweat. "_Ok then, you do that._"_ That's me, all right._

"Have you finished with your _preparations_?" Danzo interrupted opening the door.

"Yes, Shimura-san,"

A Root member wearing a cat mask landed in front of us then said, "I shall now head to the border. Harumi come with me."

Harumi turned into a pile of leaves then went inside Cat's pouch. He/She bowed before heading outside.

"Continue your training, Takeshi." He said as if nothing happened.

I shrugged and did as I was told. Minutes later he interrupted me with a question.

"The words that you and Harumi spoke. Did they have meanings?" I was caught off guard.

_This is bad. What do I say? _"Yes they do. It is a code that I created for myself. In case I was captured I can speak to my clone freely without anyone knowing. The code is not perfect yet so I rarely use it."

The room remained silent until he spoke. "You are the first person I know that does that, Kinju Takeshi."

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.**_

_**~Albert Einstien**_


	9. Mist Rat

**Word count :** 1,383

* * *

******\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo******|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Harumi's P.O.V.**_

"Thanks for the lift, Neko-senpai." I whispered to the Root member.

After traveling 3 days with the guy/girl I've come to like him/her. I still don't know what his/her gender is but I really didn't care, he/she was quiet and helpful.

He/She nodded and jumped away leaving my by the beach.

_Now what do I do? Damn it! Should have asked Neko-senpai for directions before saying goodbye._

I looked around to see _trees, trees, trees, cottage, water, water, water, port, water, wat-... Port_! I grinned then slowly and carefully made my way to the boat filled with lumber. When I reached it I sent chakra to my feet then jumped into the boat and landed on the deck without a sound. I didn't see any place where I could fit so I turned my body into leaves then went through the small cracks and waited there.

After about 15 minutes of waiting I felt the boat move and heard two men talk.

"Hey, where are we supposed to take this again?"

"Idiot! I already told you it's going to Kirigakure."

"Sorry... You need to loosen up."

"Shut up!"

_Two men having pointless arguments... Not what I was expecting._

I decided to ignore them and stayed quiet for a very long time.

Our voyage lasted for four days. I haven't eaten anything ever since I left Konoha. An advantage because people will believe my homeless kid persona and a disadvantage because I lack energy. I stayed as a piles of leaves **the whole time**.

I did not regret drinking all of their water, it made them argue and blame each other which took my attention off the fact that I was hungry and sleepy.

The time finally came the boat stopped and docked by a port. I heard the anchor drop and the sound of crickets chirping. _Night?_

I materialized my hands and did the Rat seal. My hands transformed back into leaves as they took the shape of a rat.

I scurried out of the boat as fast as I can and dashed through the forest. I searched for chakra signatures and found them all crowding in the middle of the forest. I continued to run to the direction of the village and found the gates open letting in resources so I jumped in a cart filled with wood and stayed until I smelled food before returning to the outside world.

The sun was shining faintly in the sky and the vendors were opening their small stands. _Oh... It's actually daybreak._

Everything around me was edible. My stomach rumbled as I looked around. The temptation was slowly winning me over so I ran to a small space between two buildings where there were barrels that could hide me and released my jutsu.

When I opened my eyes I was already back to my _normal _self.

Long blue hair, pale skin, tattered clothes, and worst of all... An empty stomach. It growled again demanding food but I wasn't ready to come out yet. _What if someone saw me?_

I curled into a ball and buried my head in my knees. I haven't realized how cold it was until a few seconds ago. It wasn't as cold as Amegakure but cold enough to make me shiver uncontrollably, winter is right around the corner.

_Why did, Danzo chose this time to send me on my first mission? This temperature is killing my nerves, seriously my fingers are beginning to numb._

I suddenly felt chakra in front of me and if it wasn't cold I would have frozen on the spot but luckily the cold was unbearable. _Never thought it would be an advantage._

The kid was a boy around the same age as me, if not older. He stared for a couple of seconds, which made uncomfortable so I fidgeted and played with my hair.

As he began to walk closer I scooted away from him and kept my head down. He didn't stop, he continued until he had me cornered. _Corners are bad. Damn cold, disturbing my thought process._

"You shouldn't let anyone corner you..." I stayed unresponsive.

"What's your name?" I didn't answer and kept my head down. "Hey, you there? Can you talk?"

"Yes." My voice sounded dry.

"What's your name?" He insisted.

"Harumi."

"Harumi... What are you doing here?"

"Hiding."

"From what?" He sounded confused.

_This was definitely unexpected. I never thought that a kid would be the first to interrogate me._

"I'm hiding here because it's cold and there are people." I answered truthfully.

"Where do yo-"

"GET BACK HERE BRATS!" He was cut short by a man running after a group of kids carrying a handful of apples. The boy covered his ears annoyed by the sudden shout. _Screaming wont help you mister. Do you really think they'll stop?_

The kids reminded me of Konan, Yahiko and Nagato so I decided to help them. I looked around and saw a rope not far from the stands and quickly went over to it.

"Where are you going?" He asked. I ignored him and as the three children ran past the rope I waited for the man to come closer then I pulled on it. The man fell on his flat face on his face. I could hear silent chuckles as the man stood up with an angry expression.

"Who did that?!" He asked completely forgetting about the other kids.

"Why did you do that?" The boy whispered to me.

Before I could answer the man turned to us so I panicked and pushed him back behind the barrels. I was about to follow him but the man had already snatched me by the collar.

"Was it you little girl?" He asked with malice. I nodded in reply. _No use in lying now. Good news, my disguise is working!_

"You annoying brat! You're one of them, aren't you? I'm going to-" He lost his grip as an orange was propelled to his head.

"Run!" It was the boy. I didn't listen, instead I went over to him and grabbed his arm and pulled him with me into the direction of the forest as the man started using a lot of colorful words.

When I was sure that we were deep enough to be hidden, but not lost, I stopped to look at him. He was panting a bit but other than that he looked perfectly normal.

"You... Have a strong grip... For a girl. Why did you help those kids? Are they your friends or something? Why did you hide me?" He asked not caring if he was talking too fast.

"Instinct?" I answered unsure.

He looked at me as if I was crazy. "You live in Kirigakure and your instinct says that if someone was trying to kill you, you save a stranger first before you flee." He said incredulously.

I stared at the ground. "Is that bad?"

"No... It's just... New, I guess." He said looking away. I finally decided to look at him.

My eyes were as wide as plates and my breath hitched. _Holy crap!_

He seems to notice. "What's wrong? Are you all right?" I didn't respond and continued to gap silently.

_No way in hell!_

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_You can only be young once. But you can always be immature._**

**_~Dave Barry_**

* * *

**A/N:**

His stats at the end of this chapter (age 6 or 19):

**Ninjutsu- 2, **_Kinju techniques, a few water techniques._

**Taijutsu- 1, **Not so good.

**Genjutsu- 0, **No chance with this one.

**Intelligence- 3, **He knows a lot more than children his age.

**Strength- 1.5, **Ninjutsu, good. Taijutsu, ok-ish. Genjutsu, zero.

**Speed- 2, **Something he practices everyday.

**Stamina- 1, **The early morning start and late night ending is not helping him.

**Hand seals- 2, **Same with 'speed'.

**Total: 12.5**

It's average I think. The third Hokage has a total of 34 and the highest one can get is 40. **12.5/40 **this doesn't sound bad... It reminds me of my first Algebra test.

~NoIdea135 *5798*


	10. Winter Cherry Clan

**Word count:** 3,598

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

"W-what's your name?" I asked stuttering a bit. _I thought he'd be younger._

"Hozuki Mangetsu, I'm 4 and I already joined the academy." He answered with a hint of arrogance.

Judging by his appearance I am sure he wasn't lying. Shoulder-length, white hair was a dead giveaway, in my opinion. He wore black sleeveless shirt and light-coloured pants, with a white scarf on his neck. _It's Suigetsu's brother, he's already alive! ... And he's wearing a scarf... Damn, I want one it's cold._

My stomach pulled me out of my thoughts as it rumbled. My eye twitched and I flushed a bit thinking of how rude it was. _His last name does mean winter cherry._

"Are you hungry, Harumi-chan? I can give you some food if you want?" He offered as my eye twitched.

_Harumi-chan?! No way he's going to call me, that!_

"Uh... I'm not-"

"Don't think about it so much, my parents probably wouldn't mind."

"That's not-"

"And you could really use a change of clothes. Come on our house is this way." He said pulling me to the deeper parts of the forest. _He's not listening._

"Mangetsu-san, do you live in the middle of the forest?" I asked flatly.

He froze then started to sweat. "Which way is out again?" I pointed to the opposite direction of where he was headed.

He cleared his throat. "Anyway... Come on our house is this way and don't call me Mangetsu-san, I'm only four and so are you."

"I'm not 4 _yet_." I lied. "Can I call you Mangetsu then?"

"Maybe..." He said thoughtfully.

As we emerged from the forest we carefully made our way through the market. Hiding behind stalls to avoid the man earlier, he told me he had to stop by a shop to buy some rice; because that was the main reason he was at the market in the first place.

When we reached the end he kept held my wrist so I wouldn't get lost. We walked for a few more minutes until I saw a compound up ahead. It was surrounded by an, estimated, 20 feet deep moat, but the water only filled it halfway, and there was a bridge too.

Once at the bridge I hesitated. "Mangetsu, I didn't know you lived in a clan compound. Maybe I should just go." I said trying to avoid his offer.

_I really don't think waltzing into a _Kiri clan compound _would be the best choice at the moment._

"No. You helped me so I'll help you. An _eye for an eye_, right?" I sighed.

_There's no way I'm getting out of this without making him suspicious... I thought in Kiri it was_ Eat or be eaten. _Who taught him that?_

"Yeah I guess... But didn't you help me first?" I insisted but he answered it with a deadpan look. _He obviously doesn't care._

"Um... Bridge?" I said changing the subject.

"No, no, no, no." He said shaking his head forgetting about the conversation.

"Then how are we going to get inside? Are you going to leave me here?" I asked him, careful not to have any hint of hopefulness come out.

"What? Of course not! Did someone do that before?" I nodded lying. "Well I don't do that, especially to girls..."

"I'm not-" I tried to tell him again.

"The reason we're not going to cross the bridge is because it has traps." He explained ignoring me. _This guy's not a listener._

"Why? How do you get to the other side?" I asked.

_Note to self: Clans from Kirigakure are paranoid. Although, I admire their defensive attitude._

"It's a trap for outsiders if ever they try to get in." He said in fact. "In our clan you won't be able to get in or out of the compound unless you know how to use chakra." He explained.

"Chakra? Isn't that what ninjas use when they fight? You're a ninja?" I asked him again.

"You ask a lot of questions..." He crouched down and motioned me over. "Hop on I'll carry you."

I hesitated. "Am I even allowed to be in there?" I tried a last attempt. _And seriously, a piggyback ride?_

"You have my permission. Just accept it and stop being so cautious. It doesn't fit you." He said with a serious tone.

"Huh?" _Where did that come from?_

"I said being cautious doesn't fit you. You're younger than me and you're not even a ninja. Now enough talk just hop on." He said slightly annoyed. I now just realized how ridiculous he looked. _Why is he so persistent?_

I scratched the back of my neck. "Sorry..." I said while holding on to his shoulder.

He didn't say anything he just adjusted me then jumped to the other side, which was about 8 feet away, and started running, to his house.

I didn't question him and just kept quiet and remembered the time when Kakashi brought me back home. **I just don't want to feel helpless again. **I sighed. _I guess I'm back to level 1... I have terrible luck..._

Luckily not a lot of people are awake yet so only a few gave us weird stares. We finally stopped at a house with a black roof and wooden walls... Actually, all houses look like that. The front yard had a bush and a path leading to the backyard.

Mangetsu placed me back on the ground and headed for the door. I fixed my shirt; _even if it was tattered and dirty it wouldn't hurt to fix it a little, right?_

"Wait here." He said as he went inside.

Who would have thought Mangetsu of all people would be the first one that I meet.

I don't know a lot on what happens in Kiri during this time line, so my stay should be quite interesting. There is just one problem...

_Mangetsu is going to die and I don't know how or when. Should I change that? Can I even stop it? How would it affect the future? Mangetsu could die because of a heart attack for all I know or maybe during a mission..._

_I remember a bit about some sort of dispute between Kirigakure's kekkei genkai users and average ninja... What was it that happened? ... I need to investigate..._

"Tell her to come in." A woman said before the door slid open and I was greeted by Mangetsu's parents.

His mom had long light, blonde hair tied in a high ponytail with bangs framing the sides of her face and purple eyes. She wore a simple white blouse and knee-length skirt, and a gray apron.

His father looked the same as him but older, with white hair and a blue-ish tint on the tips. He wore a pin striped light blue turtle-neck under his gray flak jacket and black pants, and a waist guard. His forehead protector was placed on his left arm.

I felt awkward looking at them so I decided to say something. "Hi... My name is Harumi..."

They continued to stare at me one with concern the other looking... Uncomfortable?

"Mangetsu... Why did you bring her here?" His father asked refusing to look away from me._ I am not a girl!_

"_An eye for an eye_, that's what you thought me, right?" The man winced then sighed and walked back in the house. _His father taught him that? But that doesn't make sense. Judging by his attire he's a ninja of Kirigakure, a jonin at the least._

"Don't worry, Harumi-chan. I'll make sure Mangetsu will keep his promise." She said kindly.

"He doesn't really have to and uh... Hozuki-san, I'm not a girl." I said._ Finally no one cut me off!_

"What! But your name and long hair!" Mangetsu said incredulously.

"My name, Harumi, is more common for women but it could also be used for men. My hair is long because I don't have anything to cut it with." I answered.

His mom started laughing awkwardly. _What the hell? _She cleared her throat regaining her composure. "Your mother where is she?"_ What was that all about?_

"Uh... I don't have one... Am I supposed to?" I asked tilting my head.

She sighed shaking her head while muttering something about the government. "Come in."

_A ninja must see the hidden meanings within the hidden meanings. In this case _hidden meanings _are acting and lying._

I followed her inside; I didn't even care if I looked around. They had 2 rooms, 1 bathroom, a kitchen, a dining area, and the backyard.

She noticed my curiosity and raised a brow.

"Sorry, Hozuki-san, but living in the streets made me somewhat paranoid. I always look for exits if I was ever in a building." I shrugged.

She stopped and turned to face me. She went down to my level and held me by the shoulders.

"Harumi, I'm going to make a deal with you." I blinked.

"Ok?" I said unsure.

"I will let you stay in here with us." _Trap! Big trap! 100% trap!_

"Why?" I asked narrowing my eyes.

Mangetsu's father made a reappearance. "Your chakra... Do you know anyone named Yuki Toshiaki?" He asked. A hint of hopefulness could be heard from his voice.

"Yuki? The Yuki clan? Sorry, but this is the very first clan I've ever been to... Am I supposed to know him?" I asked tilting my head.

He sighed and looked at me as if I was a long-lost friend. "No." He again walked out.

_Madara might not be lying about father..._

* * *

I was washing the dishes with Mangetsu keeping me company. I told his mom that it was the least I could do to repay them. At first she was hesitant but decided that learning early was a good thing.

So now Mangetsu's quietly scolding himself about being so persistent earlier.

"This is not one of the best decisions I've ever made. I wouldn't be learning how to do housework if I didn't find you." A few seconds later his eyes widened as he smacked himself on the face.

"Let me guess, that came out wrong?"

"Yes, very." He said looking away. "You're not offended?"

"Am I supposed to be offended?" I asked tilting my head.

"Is that some sort of tic?"

"What tic?" I asked looking over to him. He sat on a chair, legs on either side, with the back of it faced towards me.

"Saying _Am I supposed to? _Then tilting your head," _This guy might not be a good listener but he's an observer._

"I don't know... Anyway, don't get so worked up about doing housework, you're a ninja. They don't stay inside much. I on the other hand am not, meaning that I would have to stay... But I'm a boy; shouldn't I learn how to fight a little?"

"Of course, if you don't know how to fight then you have no future in this village."

"That is true... Say, if you learn something useful can you maybe teach me?"

"If I have time, then maybe,"

"Thanks." I turned off the faucet and carefully went down the box I was standing on. Mangetsu helped me push the box beside the sink.

"Why did your parents take me in? I don't understand it. It's... Not the most believable thing in the world. Absurd, even..."

He shrugged. "All I know is when I went in the house there was something... Off with father."

_I need to investigate_ _this '__connection_'_..._

"On a completely unrelated note, why didn't you tell me you were a boy?"

"I tried to tell you 3 times." I said frowning at him.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

The following day someone knocked on the front door.

"I'll get it." Hamako said as she walked towards the door.

"Hamako-san, we ask of yours and your husband's presence at the head office... And the child as well," The man from the door said. He had the Hozuki clan's symbol stitched to his pin stripped turtle-neck. _A clan guard?_

"Mangetsu?"

"Not your child, we mean the other one. Blue hair," He said with a hint. _I have to say... I really admire Kiri's clan's security unit. They're fast and their timing is great._

"We will be there in 30 minutes." The man nodded then jumped away.

Hamako closed the door and sighed. "Harumi we will be talking to the clan leader and he wants you to be there, ok?"

"Ok, Hozuki-san... But what about Mangetsu?"

"He's at the academy. He can handle himself just fine, let's go." I nodded.

* * *

_This is a clan compound in _Kirigakure_; if the Uchiha clan was strict then obviously this one would be just as bad... Or worse._

The only people present at the moment were Hamako, Mangetsu's father, me, and the leader of the clan... Plus, 20 guards hiding behind the door and about 40 more surrounding the building, a total of about 60 guards.

_I love the security unit. Konoha's unit is too relaxed... Well there is Root and ANBU and the Uchiha Police force... But still, this was a meeting with a 3-year-old. In Konoha it would probably just be the Hokage, and one or two ANBU watching from outside, because the Hokage can handle himself._

_But here even if the leader was powerful they still have reinforcements... And a murder of them. Plus, this is just a clan leader._

Everyone was quiet for a long time two adults with stoic faces, a kid examining the floor, and clan leader thinking.

"Is this red or white oak?" I asked whispering to Hamako as I touched the floor.

She glared at my direction and I gave her a shrug in return. _It was irrelevant, but at least I got a reaction. This is boring._

The leader finally decided to talk. "Tell me everything that happened yesterday."

"I was sleeping by the watermelon stand when Mangetsu appeared and started to question me. Then I saw three kids being chased so I decided to help them by tripping the man... He didn't appreciate it so when he turned to our direction I pushed Mangetsu behind the barrels so he won't get caught."

"Why?" He asked. I saw his hands move underneath his cloak. _Already looking for a weapon? Intimidated by a child... Smart._

I blushed and played with my hair as I answered. "Helping is in my nature."

Which was true, I've helped many people. Dad, Sakumo, Madara, Danzo, Kakashi, Konan, Nagato, Yahiko, Guy, the Hokage, Mangetsu, and those kids... I know it's not the best group but I helped them nonetheless.

_Leader _turned to Mangetsu's father. I still don't know his name. "Is this about Toshiaki?"

He lowered his head and _Leader _sighed. _I need to hear this._

"Partly..." _A lie... And a really bad one._

_Leader _sighed again rubbing his temples. "Do you really believe that he is still alive? It has been more than a decade ago."

"No. But..." He turned to me desperately looking for something.

"Uh..." _What does this guy want from me? If it wasn't for the relevance of my father I wouldn't even care about any of this._

"What is your name?" 'Leader' asked.

"I'm Harumi."

"What is your last name?" He insisted.

"I don't have one... Am I supposed to?" I tilted my head again. _Mangetsu was right it's becoming a tic._

"Even if he does have a full name he is still not allowed in the compound. I will let this one slide but the child has to leave as soon as possible, preferably this afternoon." _Leader _said.

"Yes, sir," They said together. _I don't know if I'm happy about this or not._

Mangetsu's father had to leave immediately for a mission so now it was just me and his mother. Our walk back to the house was silent but my mind was a different story.

_If I stayed I would be able to interact with Suigetsu and Mangetsu, but... Suigetsu's not born yet so maybe staying away from the family would be a good idea. But then where do I go? I can't just... Maybe I could build a tent at the forest..._

_No too much risk. I might get caught using my kekkei genkai or get arrested for sleeping there... It's not impossible it just has a low possibility rate, getting arrested for sleeping in a dangerous area, I mean._

_That's the main problem finding shelter. Winter is closing in I can't sleep outside... Well I can but, I might die of hypothermia._

When we arrived at the house I stopped. _They assume that I don't know how to use chakra... How am I going to get out? _I turned around and pulled my hair.

"Uh... Hozuki-san, I don't know how to use chakra." I stated bluntly.

"Well... I can't leave the house for very long, you know why, right?"

"Yes." I answered. _In Kiri it's as if there was an unspoken rule that says you can only stay out of your house for an hour. Abandoning it for too long wouldn't be a very smart choice._

"Just wait for Mangetsu." She ordered.

* * *

"Hey, Harumi-chan, guess what?" Mangetsu said excitedly.

"Don't call me that, Mangetsu." He ignored it and continued.

"I saw this white hairless puppy, I thought it was adorable. But it didn't like me very much... It tried to bite my hand off."

Mangetsu was against the idea of me leaving, but orders from the leader, obviously cannot be disobeyed.

"You like animals?"

"Sure do! But mom doesn't and dad has no opinion on the subject."

"Are animals the only things that you like?"

"No. I have a dream; I want to become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

"Really... Good luck then I'll be rooting for you." _Now I remember Mangetsu was one of the sword guys._

"Say... Why don't you try? If you succeed we could be a duo of some sort." He asked grinning.

"I don't think that's my calling... Maybe a hunter-nin would suffice?"

"That's close enough. Some of the current members are from ANBU."

"Uh... Ok?" _Mangetsu needs his little brother, Suigetsu's is the one that's as motivated as him... What if because of my existence Suigetsu turns into a slightly different version of Sasuke?_

"Hang on, the river's up ahead." I climbed on his back and he jumped to the other side.

"So where are you going now?" He asked as I returned to the ground.

"I can always go back to the alley or join a group of kids."

"Here..." He took his scarf off and handed it to me. "You'll need it. Winter will be very cold."

"Are you su-" He narrowed his eyes. I raised my arms in front of me.

"Ok. Ok, I'm not questioning." As I accepted it Mangetsu looked over my shoulder and grinned.

"Hey look, it's the dog I told you about." I turned and saw a white hairless puppy.

The temperature was cold but it didn't seem to affect the animal at all.

"You're right. It is adorable." I said walking over to it.

"Harumi don't do that. It's cute but it might maul you." _That's exaggerated._

I was 3 feet away from the animal and it was enough to get a good look at it. White _skin_, 6 inches long, yellow eyes, kind of chubby actually... _Is that...?_

I crouched down and stared at the _animal_. It walked closer stopping a few inches away. I poked it on the forehead then whispered. "Zetsu?"

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_The greatest pleasure in life is doing what other people say you cannot do._**

**_~Walter Bagehot_**

* * *

**A/N: ***In my head canon*

Kiri clans, _isn't Kiri a bloodthirsty and sadistic village? Why did those **clan **people help your OC? _Mangetsu is taught the customs of clan kids and street kids, but after all that he's still a mischievous little devil that doesn't listen. It's hard for him to find kids his age that don't know about his prodigious skills, or to simply put it, a friend. He's a kid.

_How did they get inside so easily?_ Harumi has blue hair, dark eyes and pale skin while Mangetsu has white hair, violet eyes, and pale skin. He is made to fit in Kiri, all of the known Hozuki clan members have light-colored hair and Harumi has a baby blue kind of shade.

Mangetsu's mother, whom I named Hamako, is a housewife her attitude is similar to Mikoto but colder. She listens to what her husband's says, believing it's the best thing to do in their situation.

Mangetsu's father is a jonin, not well known but respected for having a prodigy.

~NoIdea135 *5798*


	11. Full Moon of the Mist

**Word count:** 3,399

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

I was about to explode due to extreme happiness when suddenly Mangetsu looked over my shoulder.

"What do you know? It likes you... Was I not good enough?" He asked dramatically in a joking manner. Zetsu, I'm assuming, growled at him.

He backed away from the _dog _and froze comically in a weird defensive pose. "Apparently not,"

_Zetsu's here...! I think. Finally after a year of pure insanity, I have someone to talk to who's not boring._

"Do you two know each other?"

"Yes." I answered. _If this wasn't Zetsu then I'll just make it my pet._

"I guess you do have a guar-" He was about to pat me on the shoulder but stopped when the puppy growled angrily at him.

"Nice friend you have there." He said sarcastically.

I picked up the dog and placed it in my new scarf. Its head popped out and it bit the scarf. _This thing is adorable... I swear if this was Zetsu..._

"Thanks for the help Mangetsu. I hope to see you again." I said giving him a closed eye smile then walking away.

"Wait!" I looked behind my shoulder. "You said you would prefer to be a hunter-nin, right?" I nodded slowly. "How are you going to be a hunter-nin if you're not even an academy student to begin with?"

_He's right... Wait... Becoming a hunter-nin is not even my dream. My dream is for everything to go back to normal, which obviously will_ never_ happen, even in my previous world._

"Oh well. I'll find a way... Somehow... See you later, Mangetsu." I waved while walking away.

"Yeah... Sure."

* * *

I was back at the alley near the watermelon stands, hiding behind the barrels once again. The _dog _didn't do much, it just looked around.

"Hello, Zetsu-nii... I think." I said while holding the dog in front of me.

The dog barked in reply and tried to lick my face. I sighed, disappointed. "I guess you're a real dog after all... Sorry little guy I really thought you were someone else."_ I must be desperate for a familiar face._

It barked again and wagged its tail happily. It cuddled up to my scarf and slowly fell asleep.

I took in air but slightly coughed because of the cold. I looked up and I could see some snow falling. _Winter is already starting, I don't have anywhere to stay._ This means... _I'm going to have to deal with it. _I sighed deeply letting out frosty, white air.

Fortunately, Mangetsu's scarf was big enough to pass as a small blanket. I used it to wrap around me and the small animal. It didn't completely warm me up, but it was better than freezing.

The weather was becoming worse. The temperature dropped every night and heated a little during the day.

Mangetsu would stop by at times and give me food then leave after Kiiro wakes up and barks at him. Kiiro is the name I picked for the puppy because of its eye's color.

Kiiro and I would usually steal food from the stands with small items, such as fruits and sweets, three times a day. At this point I didn't care, food is food. _Yes, I admit that we _steal_. I can't say _borrow _in this case._

The dog was helpful as a distraction for any person. _Cuteness was helpful to some degree I guess._

* * *

**Light snow... But extremely cold temperature.**

Kiiro and I are lucky there was no snowstorm. If there was one, we would have been a giant Popsicle by now. Mangetsu found us early in the morning by the alley and gave me a blue pin striped turtleneck and a pair of black pants. I didn't have the energy to argue so I just accepted it then went back to sleep.

My birthday came, December 31st, more snow fell from the sky.

* * *

_I took in air. The smell of snow and wood filled my system. _Winter.

_I was positioned on a crib as my head hit the pillow I opened my eyes again and saw a man with spiky black hair, pale skin and chocolate-brown eyes._

* * *

I hugged Kiiro remembering the day I was born. It was snowing, which was rare in Konoha..._ Rare, but not impossible._

_Konoha... I wonder how everyone else is doing..._

The sky was gray, almost black, snow kept on falling, slowly and gracefully landing on the ground. The sky was gray..._ Kakashi, Obito... Even Gai and Rin, I miss them._

"Homesick..." I said to myself.

Kiiro whimpered, sensing my mood. I scratched the back of his ear to let him know everything was all right. He licked my hand. _He's not buying it... Smart dog._

I smiled at the animal. "I can't get anything past you, huh?" It barked in reply. I searched for chakra signatures, careful for any hidden ones, and luckily found none.

"Why don't I tell you a story? Does that sound good?" I asked it while lifting it in front of my face. It replied with an enthusiastic bark while wagging its tail.

Honestly, this was only my way of letting out everything that I hid from everyone. The dog didn't ask for it, I just want to tell a living being how messed up my life was._ Yeah, that's how desperate I am._

A hairless little puppy is not what I need. What I need is a psychiatrist, but I guess this would suffice, for now.

"_On the 31st day of December a young... _Girl _was born and her mother named her... Uh..._ Akira." I made tweaks with the names and places and I'm also speaking in English. I made sure that no person in this village would ever understand my stories._ Paranoid you say? Why yes, yes I am._

"_She was born... Different from other kids, she was smarter, I guess... Her memory and understanding progressed faster than other children..._"

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

"So how's it going back there?" I asked.

"Not much. Guy graduated, he's a genin now." He replied.

"Really?"

"Yeah," He confirmed. "Anything important happen that I can report to the old man?"

"I've made a few observations. For one in my opinion their security is better, especially with the clans."

"How do you know that?" He asked suddenly interested with the conversation.

"I might have visited one of them." I answered scratching the back of my neck. "The Hozuki clan to be more precise,"

"Hozuki that sounds familiar." He paused to think. "Is the surname supposed to make some bells ring?"

"Yup, Hozuki Suigetsu, a member of Sasuke's little group, the guy who gets punched by the red-haired girl, remember?"

"Ah! Water bottle boy," He beamed. "How did you get in?"

"I was literally carried into the compound and got kicked out after a day, so now I live by an alley with a puppy."

"Harsh. Who let you in?"

"Mangetsu, Suigetsu's older brother. He's like Suigetsu, but kind of weird."

"I'm not even going to ask for an explanation." He rubbed his temples then sighed. "Any other observations?"

"Yes. The lifestyle is somewhat the same as Amegakure. Orphan children steal and clan children train." _Let's see what else._

"Kirigakure's buildings are shaped like cylinders and the Mizukage's office was the widest and largest. Most of the taller buildings have trees on the rooftops. The village is surrounded by a thick mist all the time, the mist gets thicker at night. The standard attire of the village is a pin striped sweater type thing and over it would be the standard grey flak jacket."

"That's a lot more information than I expected. What about clans?"

"So far only Hozuki and Yuki," He flinched at the mention of the latter clan as I continued. "You know, Madara might be telling the truth about father."

He stayed silent and stared blankly. "Is that it?"

"Yes." I said sighing.

"Talk to you in a couple of months then."

"Right," _I might have a split personality... If that was even possible._

* * *

Somehow Kiiro always remembered my stories and wouldn't fall asleep if I didn't continue. Like children demanding their parents to read them a bedtime story.

One time, a little over noon, I got so focused on telling the story that I didn't notice Mangetsu eavesdropping.

"When she was 6 months old, Akira and her father met a man named Takuya. Takuya-san was a respected man. He-"

"What are you two talking about?" I jumped a bit and looked up to see Mangetsu. _I didn't even sense him! I'm getting rusty, real fast._

"Hello, Mangetsu. How long have you been there? What's in the bag?" I eyed the plastic bag.

He kneeled down in front of me and narrowed his eyes. "A few things mom told me to pick up... Seriously though, what were you saying to the dog?"

"I was just bored so I decided to tell Kiiro a story. I sound crazy don't I?" I said grinning.

"A story... What is it about?" _Damn, childish curiosity._

"Uh... It's about a girl who was born with very good memory and adult-like understanding." _Telling him about it could help... Or it might blow my cover... Though as long as he doesn't-_

"Where did you get that idea from?" _Dang it!_

"Let me think for a moment." He kept quiet and waited patiently._ Say something childish, say something childish... _I snapped my fingers.

"I remember thinking. What if kids ruled the world? We can do anything we want! We could live peacefully. No fights whatsoever. None of us would starve anymore! I can finally eat this _dango _I keep hearing about." I said punching the air. _The innocent and playful mind of a child... It's as complicated as algebra._

"Harumi, you never answered my question!" Mangetsu whined.

"Huh? Which one?" _I answered all of them, didn't I?_

"Where did you get that idea from?" He repeated.

"What are you talking about? Didn't I just-"

"You said that you thought, '_What if kids were the leaders of the world?'_ Why would you think that?" He explained. _He's smarter than he looks._

"Honestly, I don't know. It just randomly popped in my mind while I was eating an orange during my birthday." I lied with a shrug.

"Your birthday? When was that?"

"One week and 4 days ago." I answered truthfully. This would probably be the first real information about me that I gave my _friend_.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Takeshi's P.O.V._**

About a year and a half has passed since I sent Harumi over to Kiri. Training was getting more and more bothersome. I rarely get any sleep or have a talk with anyone other than Danzo; which really isn't much of a conversation but sadly it's the only thing I've got to entertain myself.

My expectations for _entertainment _has dropped so low that I considered talking to a deranged, stoic old man, something good enough to keep me from dying of boredom for a whole year. _Unbelievable!_

I also started to wear my goggles all the time like Kakashi does with his mask but with limitations, like when sleeping and bathing. Always being in a dark area, while wearing goggles, has increased my eye's vision and sensitivity to light. Both an advantage and a disadvantage. So I asked the mirror guy to make me another pair and carried it around with me if ever my current one's brake for some reason.

Kakashi rarely talks to me because he's busy training and following the _rules _and even reading them so he wouldn't forget a single one. He is starting to sound like an obsessed student council member: _Or a __Geek of Rules__._

Minato, Kushina, Mikoto, and even Fugaku was getting a _little_ concerned for my well-being. They all tried to persuade me to take a break every day. When they found out that I only listened to the Hokage when it came to resting they requested a _monthly rest day _so I had no choice but to listen.

During my_ monthly rest days _I always look for Guy. Yes, Guy. Kakashi's 'rival', although very one-sided he still insists that Kakashi recognizes him as one.

The reason why I look for him is because of our monthly race around the village. There was only one simple rule... No chakra. I always wear weights when racing him so it always ends with me losing by a minute or 2. He wears weights too but mine were a few pounds heavier and I wear them all the time, except while sleeping or bathing, like my goggles.

He kept track of our time and he always encourages me to beat it or finish the same time. If the record didn't help me I would say he was weird, but it did so there was no problem.

I see Guy as a friend while he sees me as his first best friend and, of course, his "_rival's _'youthful' _little brother_". I know I overused the air quotes, but in this case it's needed, badly.

Almost 3 years of training with Danzo helped me cover most of specialties and the techniques that hate my guts.

My number one speciality was **Ninjutsu**, which was good because I had three elements and a kekkei genkai that specializes in that category. A reason why I trained every day with hand seals, it helps my fingers become more flexible and move faster to finish the hand seals for the Water Prison Technique in a matter of 5 seconds.

Next to it was **Bukijutsu **and **Shurikenjutsu**. So to simply put it, weapon handling/throwing skills, judging by how I won the chunin exams I think I have a fairly, good grasp with the human anatomy.

Some of my half decent skills are **Taijutsu **and **Kenjutsu**. Close-combat is not my best friend but I can handle myself just fine. Advantages that help are my speed. Considering my familiarity with weapons I would say Kenjutsu could be my surprise side skill.

Techniques that hate me are **Fuinjutsu **and **Genjutsu**. I'm telling you, these two are after me they both tried to assassinate me. Fuinjutsu almost turned me into a pile of dusts while genjutsu was trying to melt my brain.

_My mind is already screwed enough, thank you very much._

* * *

Today the Hokage requested a meeting with Danzo and me for some reason which made me cautious.

Once the office was cleared with any ANBU and Root members the three-person meeting began. _I wonder how important a conversation between two old men and a kid is._

"Danzo, it is time that I take the boy off of your hands." _What?!_ I turned to Danzo for an explanation but he remained emotionless and unresponsive.

"Already?" _What are they talking about?!_

"We had an agreement that when the boy reaches the level of a low-ranked jonin you will drop your training with him and hand him back to me... But he has already surpassed this rank since almost a year ago."

_A jonin! That's how far I have gotten just after nearly 3 years of training with Danzo!_

"Yes I am fully aware of that... I did not know that his ability to absorb knowledge was extremely high and his maturity is already well developed." _He thinks I'm mature? Ha! That's amusing._

"That is not the problem here. What I'm trying to understand is the reason, why didn't tell me sooner?"

"I wanted to see how much more he would develop if we added a few more months to his training."

"You could have at least informed me about your plans with the boy."

I raised my hand like a child from the academy, about to ask. This surprised the Hokage and caught his attention.

"What is it, Takeshi?" He asked puzzled.

"If you don't mind me asking, Hokage-sama," He nodded for me to continue. "As you said earlier I am now as skilled as a low-ranked jonin or maybe higher, but even so I have never been on any mission, much less work with a team, so my experience level is, nearly, zero and the only fighting I ever did was when I took the genin and the chunin exam." I lied.

"During the chunin exams I have had suspicions that you were not completely focused on the fight and I received information from Kakashi saying that you were indeed half asleep while you were fighting and that he had to carry you all the way back home. Even though you were in the midst of collapsing you were still able to defeat a chunin and hit a precise point from a fair amount of distance from the target. You were also successful in keeping him alive." He reasoned.

_So he knows that I wasn't taking the fight seriously... Wait a minute! First Danzo and now the Hokage, why is everyone stalking me? That's my job!_

I sighed then decided to ask another question. "If you're going to stop my training with Shimura-san, then what am I to do after? Are you going to place me in a team?"

"Originally, yes. I was going to put you on a genin team but now I am starting to reconsider."

"Hiruzen, perhaps it's best if the boy stays with me." Danzo offered. _Yeah right. Maybe in a different dimension, but here... Hell no._

"No, I have decided that he would be transferred to the main ANBU unit." I feel like a doll being passed around by a bunch of 5 year olds.

I raised my hand again. "Hokage-sama, before transferring I have a request."

"What is it?" He asked looking straight at me.

"Can I take the jonin exams first?"

Danzo decided to voice his opinion. "I think that is a good idea."

"Why, Takeshi?" Hiruzen asked giving me a calculating look.

"To test my abilities, I want to know if I really am capable of being an Anbu. If I pass then I would consider joining if not then I would just become a gate guard or an academy teacher, if that was allowed." I said with a shrug in the end. "Even though being a guard is boring and being an academy teacher is a pain someone still has to do it."

The Hokage chuckled at my ridiculous _dream job_. "I see very well then, I will grant your request. Will there be anything else?"

"Yes, I need to go back to the training room first I left some of my water scrolls there, I was not expecting this news."

"Of course, you are dismissed."

* * *

"Shimura-san, should I release the clone?"

"No, keep Harumi there. It will later work as an advantage for Konoha."

"Yes, Shimura-san... But how do I report to you?"

"You can leave a clone with me." He suggested.

"Not a clone..." He gave me a questioning look so I took out leaves from my pocket and did the Bird seal.

The pile slowly formed into a shape of a small bird, no bigger than a hand. Its color turned from green to black as it flapped its wings then landed on Danzo's shoulder.

"Hideki, can stay with you and report anything that happens at Kiri."

"Tell me, how would a bird do that?"

"He could act as a messenger bird for Root. You can send him over to me once a month and tell Hokage-sama that so they won't kill the bird."

"If you wouldn't mind I would like to use this bird as an actual messenger of Root not only as an act."

"Of course, please, make sure he doesn't die during his first delivery."

"I'll see what I can do. Until next time, Takeshi," I nodded and proceeded to the Hokage office.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_I'm old enough to know better, but young enough to do it anyway._**

**_~Anonymous_**


	12. Arrival of the Raven

**Word count:** 3,529

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Harumi's P.O.V._**

Mangetsu was trying to communicate with Kiiro. Although Kiiro is not fond of him he still continues to bother the animal.

"Hel-lo, Kii-ro-cha-n, my na-me is Man-get-su. I am Ha-ru-mi-cha-n's fr-i-end." He said slowly in a ridiculous manner.

Kiiro was not amused. He growled at him and barred his fangs at the kid.

He backed away from the pup and turned to me with an eyebrow raised. "What is wrong with-_Wait_..." He turned to the dog then back to me. "... Is Kiiro a boy or a girl?"

I started to sweat then gave him an incredulous look. "I don't know, Mangetsu. Would you like to check? I'm not going to stop you?"

"..."

"I didn't think so."

* * *

I looked at Mangetsu, he was playing with Kiiro. Kiiro was slowly warming up to him, they moved from trying to maul to playing conversation fetch. The conversations included one-sided arguments, random angry barks and lots of throwing.

"You know, I've been curious for a while..." I said interrupting their game.

"About what?" He skeptically asked.

"Why do you care?" It came out rude, but it has bothered me since the first time I met him.

He flinched. "What do you mean?"

I suddenly regretted my words and started to stutter. "S-sorry for s-sounding rude, but its just-" I sighed. _Here goes nothing. _

"You have been very helpful and I don't even know why you do that. You helped me with Apple-man, you brought me to your house, _inside your clan compound,_ you gave me your scarf and these clothes, _and _you still visit me and occasionally give me food even though you don't need to. I just want to know why. Why do you do all those things?"

He was quietly staring at me as I waited for his reply. "Being born from a clan and having food everyday isn't really as fun as it sounds." He said with a monotone.

"You mean you would rather live here outside than in your own house?"

"Being born into a clan, means that people have high expectations for you. Especially if someone of high-ranking was from your clan," _High ranking? What does he mean?_ "The second Mizukage was from the Hozuki clan."

_Oh I get it. He thinks that every person is expecting a lot from him and because of the pressure he thinks that I have more freedom than him._

"Mangetsu, the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence. I know it sounds stupid but trust me it's true." I told him while smiling.

"I don't understand what you mean by that, but I'm assuming it was something that would reassure me. So thanks for trying." He grinned. "I just hope I have someone in the compound to talk to." He said looking up.

_He's lonely, that's for sure._ I thought of a way to fix his problem but the only thing that goes into my mind was Suigetsu. "Hey cheer up! Forget about it. Look Kiiro's chewing your shoe."

His eyes widened in horror. He swiftly turned to Kiiro then grabbed the other end of his shoe. This resulted into a mini tug-of-war. "No, Kiiro. Bad dog! Let my innocent footwear go!"

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Takeshi's P.O.V._**

"I have big news Yagura is the new Mizukage." Harumi said.

"Yagura, the future jinjuriki of the Sanbi?"

"Yes. A few months ago I have heard from Mangetsu that the Seven Ninja Swordsmen had a mission at the Land of Fire, do you have any information that can help me figure this out."

_Oh so it was them..._ "Guy's father died using the 'Eight Inner Gates' to save them from enemy ninja. I guess _they're _the enemy ninja." I said thoughtfully.

"I see, so how's Guy handling it?"

"Pretty well actually, we race more often and he's training to be a taijutsu master." I informed him with a smile.

He gladly returned it. "I'm relieved he's not brooding like us. That inspirational moron never ceases to amaze me. Anything else?"

"The Hokage pulled me out of Root. He says that he wanted me to join the main ANBU unit."

"Doesn't that make you feel like a doll being passed around by a bunch of 5-year-olds?"

I laughed as I remembered thinking the same thing. "Yes, yes it does." _Takeshi and Harumi are both Robin Odon after all._

"One more thing I'm training with a jonin. His name is Sugiyama Hideo."

"A jonin sensei?" He paused. "Is he like Ebisu?"

"Yeah, and I asked the Hokage permission to take the jonin exams before joining ANBU. You know, to get more experience." I explained.

"That's a good idea, I think. Are you getting any missions?" He asked.

A groan of annoyance was my reply. "The boring D-ranks and occasional C-ranks," _That cat is killing me. How many times does it run away every week?! _"C-ranks are mostly delivery and escort missions inside the border."

"At least you're doing something there. All I do is talk to a dog..." I waited for him to continue but he didn't.

"And Mangetsu?" I offered.

"What are you talking about? I see no difference." He said as he crossed his arms and held his head high.

I grinned. "Is that what you think of him? Quite humorous of you," I cleared my throat. "Anyway, back to the important events. Fugaku and Mikoto are married."

"Already? I thought we would have more time." He scratched his chin. "This means we have about 6 years left before the Kyubi event happens."

"I guess so." I agreed. "Hang in there, ok?"

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

The Hokage thought that it would be a good idea for me to have an ordinary sensei. So now I was stuck with Sugiyama Hideo. Hideo was about the same age as Minato he had cream-colored hair, chocolate-brown eyes and a thin physique; even though he loves to eat.

_Being a ninja probably helped with maintaining it... But what about the Akimichi's...?_

He smiled a lot, he usually took me out for food, he always talks to me about unimportant things, and he would always ask me if I was tired. Overall he was nice.

I wasn't used to having a laid back teacher. Training with Madara and Danzo gave me the impression that all teachers were strict and stoic; they made you learn from personal experience. Hideo was different he would not only point out my mistakes he would also help me fix them. He doesn't just say, _Here's a scroll learn everything in it and show me how much you have accomplished after a week, _he actually teaches me.

"Thank you for helping me, Sugiyama-sama." I said while dipping my head.

His features saddened as he said, "Hokage-sama was right about you growing up too fast."

"Sorry, Hideo-sensei, I got used to calling people by their last names and adding '_sama'_." I said looking down. _Uchiha-sama and Shimura-san. Why do I call them that?_

"Try controlling it. I know it's not easy but you'll get it eventually." He then ruffled my hair.

"Ok, Hideo-sensei." I smiled at him._ I like him way better than Madara and Danzo._

"Want to go for sushi?" He offered grinning.

I gave him a questioning look. "Isn't it a bit too early for dinner?"

"It's never too early for food." He retorted childishly.

I smiled at him. "Whatever you say, sensei," _He reminds me of someone._

* * *

Mikoto invited Kushina and I over at her and Fugaku's house after she heard from the Hokage that I was going to take the jonin exams.

She and Kushina had planned on having a _mother-and-son_ type of talk with me. Speaking of mothers, Mikoto is 4 months pregnant.

I was eating crackers while Kushina was quietly sipping tea, Mikoto did the same before a look of concern became visible on her face.

"Takeshi-kun, are you sure about taking the jonin exams? I'm not saying that you're not strong enough, it's more like-"

"Please don't worry about it too much, Mikoto-san, I heard that panicking isn't good especially when you have a baby with you. Besides, I'm not taking the exams yet. I'm still training with Sugi-er, I mean, Hideo-sensei." I slipped again. I couldn't control the name yet.

Kushina scowled. "You're too young to be taking this test, dattebane."

"But-"

"No buts. If I was the Hokage I wouldn't let children enter the academy at 4, it's too early. 6 or 7 would be average." She murmured the last part to herself before continuing. "No one has the right to take away anyone's childhood, dattebane." She said as she crossed her arms.

_Actually, it's more like no one has the right to persuade a child to have a suicidal dream. But I guess that statement is close enough._

"People have different ways of protecting the village, Kushina-san." I said looking up. "I suppose training 4-year-olds how to use deadly weapons are one of them." I took another bite before continuing. "I guess it couldn't be helped. War is happening. The village needs as much skilled ninjas as it can get."

No one said a word and reverted back to silently drinking tea. _Changing the conversation right about now would be a good idea. _I grabbed another cracker, bit it and smiled widely.

"These taste great, Mikoto-san. When the baby you have in your stomach finally comes out you should definitely give him these." I said as I took another bite. "Where did you get the baby anyway? And how did it get in there?"

She blushed and stuttered. "T-Takeshi-kun, you don't just _get _a baby."

"Where do babies come from then...?" I curiously asked.

I honestly did **not **know the answer to the question. While it is true that I died when I was 13 and I'm supposed to know this, but the training and other earlier events made me forget.

I always forget things that I categorize as unimportant and remember the relevant ones. So to me fighting is more important than the human reproductive cycle. I'm not **entirely **clueless about the topic, I know that it happens privately between a man and a woman. Other than that though I don't know anymore...

Both women blushed. Kushina asked stuttering. "N-no one ever told you?" I shook my head. "Didn't your sensei from the academy teach you that?"

I raised an eyebrow at her. "They teach you that at the academy? I must have fallen asleep during the lecture." I said scratching the back of my neck. "Well... Since it's obviously making you uncomfortable I won't ask you again." They both sighed, relieved. "I'll just ask Minato-san and Fugaku-san instead." I proclaimed while smiling innocently.

They both paled and stared blankly into space.

"Kushina-san, Mikoto-san..." I waved my hands in front of their faces but they were unresponsive.

The door suddenly opened and I was greeted by Fugaku, Minato and Kakashi. _Great they're here!_

"Hello everyone..." Minato greeted while grinning.

My mood lightened up a bit. "Minato-san, nice timing, I just wanted to ask you if you knew where ba-imf mm mrm." I was stopped by Kushina's hand.

I blinked owlishly as Kushina talked. "Nothing, don't worry about what he was going to say. I've got it covered." She laughed nervously.

Fugaku and Kakashi raised an eyebrow while Minato shrugged it off.

"Ok then. So how are you, Mikoto-san?"

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

I decided to visit Team Minato during their meeting and bought food for them with the plan of revealing to them, Obito and Rin, the horrible truth about being a genin. _Boring D-rank missions..._

"Yes! I did it! I'm a genin! I'm one step closer to becoming the Hokage!" Obito beamed happily while jumping up and down.

"Congratulations, Obito. You too Rin," Rin gave me a smile in return while Obito hugged me tightly. He was probably thinking of Rin and I was within arm's reach.

"Don't think that being a genin is a great thing because in truth it's not the best rank for anyone. Mainly because of all the stupid D-rank missions, although it does help you prepare for bigger missions most of them are normal everyday chores like cleaning the lawn, picking herbs, babysitting, catching a run-away cat, and walking dogs." I stoically dropped the news.

"You make D-rank missions sound like a nightmare." Obito stated.

"That's because they are. It depends on a person's opinion but I know that everyone hates them to some degree." I presented them with two plastic bags each with their preferred goodies, in my opinion.

"Here, Obito. I wasn't entirely sure on what your favorite food was so I just bought you dango." I said handing over the plastic.

"W-What?! I can't accept that." He said looking away. I mentally sighed. _Of all the times to act noble he chooses this particular event. Way to go, Tobi._

"Come on it's a congratulatory gift for becoming an official ninja. Don't let my mission money go to waste." I whined playfully.

"Sorry... Thanks a lot!" He said while digging in.

"Rin, I hope you like strawberries because that was all I could think of to give, sorry if you're not very fond of them." I handed the other plastic bag to her.

Rin gave me a sweet smile as she accepted it. "Thank you, Takeshi-kun. Strawberries are actually my favorite."

"Really?!" I exclaimed surprised. "Huh... What are the odds of that?" I said to myself.

"Takeshi, shouldn't you be with Sugiyama-san by now?" Kakashi interrupted.

I shrugged. "Not really I still have some time to spare and it's not like Minato-san's here yet." Chakra flared behind me a split second after I finished the sentence. "I stand corrected."

I turned around to greet him. "Hello, Minato-san do you mind if I hang out with you guys for a while?"

"No, not at all, just make sure to arrive on time for your training."

"Ok."

Their training consisted of mainly physical exercises and short spars, which I politely declined to join.

Obito currently trained with shuriken while Kakashi did exercises and Rin practiced and read about medical ninjutsu and herbs. Minato and I sat by a tree, talking about the three of them.

"What do you think about the team so far?" He asked while chewing on a grape. I examined all of them for about half a minute before answering.

"Obito is an Uchiha which means that he would most likely be well-versed with Fire Release. So far his Taijutsu, though not in par with Kakashi, can be considered average. Shurikenjutsu-" I trailed off to look at Obito. His weapons were scattered around him and only a few were sticking on the log. "Not so good. Though his skills with would increase once he unlocks his clans kekkei genkai."

Minato considered my observation and motioned for me to continue after letting the information sink. "Rin is very skilled in the Medical field. Her Shurikenjutsu is exceptional and her Taijutsu is the same as Obito's if not better. I don't know a lot about her skills like I do with Obito and Kakashi but I think she could be a medical-nin prodigy. I don't need to tell you about Kakashi because I'm sure you're already very well-informed with his capabilities."

He grabbed a grape from the plastic before replying. "Of course. Very well thought Takeshi. How long have you been analyzing them?" He asked turning to face me as he popped the fruit into his mouth.

"Ever since you passed them and started your training." I answered with a shrug. "Interesting test, by the way,"

"Thank you! So, two days ago?"

"Yes." I gathered my belongings and left him the plastic with the grapes. "Thank you for your time, Minato-san. I need to go now, Sugiya- _Hideo-sensei _would probably start looking for me in about a minute." I dipped my head.

"No problem you're welcome anytime." He replied grinning. "And thanks for the food too."

I nodded then turned to the rest of the team. "See you guys later!"

"Ok." They all replied at the same time but failed to notice due to immense concentration.

"I think your team should be fine, Minato-san. They're already replying as a team." I joked.

He laughed and grinned. "I guess so. I just hope they won't do that _all _the time, it sounds machine-like."

_Doesn't he mean robotic? ... Oh right robots don't exist here, only good old-fashioned deadly wooden puppets controlled with chakra strings. _I smiled at the thought, but quickly frowned a second later._ Puppets..._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

I was face to face with a baby with raven-colored hair and dark onyx eyes. The child was 8 months old but it always looks as if the child could understand every single word you say.

I sat outside staring at the beautiful garden, though no flowers grew the simple small pond and lone tree was enough to make the place eye-catching.

I cradled the child in my arms and extended a finger at him. He grabbed the finger as if on instinct and started to play with the others. I frowned feeling sorry for the child. The fate that lies ahead for him is cruel and depressing.

_People have different ways of protecting the village..._ My own words echoed in my mind.

I was assigned to take care of the child while his mother was out grocery shopping. I was always the one to be left alone with him because I was the only one that both his parent trusted with their house and him.

The little boy suddenly pulled on my shirt. I turned to see him stare at me with wide innocent eyes. "Ta..." He managed to say.

"Just, 'Ta'? Come on you can do it, three syllables. Ta-" I coaxed.

"Ta-" He repeated.

"Ke-" I said slowly.

"R... Ke-" He was having trouble with k.

"Shi."

"Sh-shi." He finished with his brows knitted.

"That was very good. Now try connecting them. Ta-Ke-Shi." I again coaxed slowly.

I heard the door slide open behind me. "Takeshi-kun, I'm back."

"Takes-shi." He finished. I smiled at him.

Mikoto was surprised. "Did he just...?" She trailed off.

I turned to the flabbergasted woman. "Yes, Mikoto-san he said my name."

Looking back at the child I grinned widely and playfully poked his forehead with my forefinger. "Good job, Itachi."

"Ta-Ke-Shi." He repeated trying to get used to the word.

_This child was going to suffer so much. How do I stop it? Children should be taken cared of not trained._

"I'm so proud of you Itachi. You can finally say Takeshi-kun's name." Mikoto cooed as she took the child from my arms.

_They look so happy but... It won't last forever. Nothing lasts forever._

I stood up and headed to the door. "Have a nice day Mikoto-san. See you again next week."

"Of course, Takeshi-kun, don't be late again." She joked.

I smiled. "I won't." I answered as I walked outside. Children were running around playing tag and ninja.

_This clan bears the Curse of Hatred yet all the children are lively. I suppose only the person who embraces the curse will be affected._

"Hey, Takeshi, what are you doing here?" I looked behind me to see Obito.

_Or it could be that people are persuaded into embracing the curse._

"I was just babysitting Itachi again."

"It happens weekly now?" He asked.

"Yup, want to eat with Hideo-sensei and I again?" I offered.

"Sure!"

_Living at this village with no Madara, Danzo or anything related to having big responsibilities for the future, has made me realize..._

"Great! Let's go get, Rin." I beamed.

"W-What?" He blushed.

"Oh. You don't want her to join?" I asked tilting my head.

"No. It's just- she might be- I don't think-" He stammered.

"Don't worry about it. I've got this." I reassured him.

_Maybe this world wasn't such a hopeless case after all..._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_When a door closes another door should open, but if it doesn't then go in through the window._**

**_~Anonymous_**


	13. Mist's Ox and Horse

**Word count: **2,259

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Harumi's P.O.V._**

I threw a ball of paper and Kiiro ran after it, being alone for almost a year makes me bored out of my mind.

I had everything I needed food, water, a place to stay, and limited protection from the people who wants to catch me.

But something's still missing.

Kiiro came back with a slightly drool-covered paper ball and barked, telling me to throw it again. I shrugged,_ I have nothing better to do._

I was about to use the ball as a projectile when I heard footsteps. My eyes widened in panic._ What if it was the Orange-man? _I grabbed Kiiro and curled up into a ball trying hard to hide by the corner._ I hate it when this happens._

When the footsteps halted I was face to face with identical twins. If it weren't for the other's shaggier hair I wouldn't have been able to tell them apart.

While they looked at each other I pretended to sleep.

"We know you're awake," One of them said.

I lazily opened my eyes and stared at them. "I'm seeing doubles and I'm hearing things. I must be going crazy." I murmured.

Kiiro popped out of my scarf and growled at them. "Bark! Bark!"

I lifted him up to my face. "What is it Kiiro?" He barked again. "Are you saying they're real?" He wagged his tail and licked my nose.

"Hello, were right here," The other interrupted.

"Yes, and what do you need?"

"We want you to join our group, I'm Gozu."

I tilted my head. "What group is this, who are the members?"

"Just the two of us," _Human contact might be the 'missing thing' that I need, but then again connections don't always work out._

"Sure thing," I said standing up. "Hi, my name is Harumi." I said holding out my hand.

They stared at it. "Uh," Gozu started, not knowing what to do. He looked at his hand and held it out as well. I quickly grabbed it and shook hands with him.

"Hi, my name is Harumi." I repeated.

Gozu let go of my hand and stared at his own as if it were an alien.

"And you are?" I asked turning to the shaggy- haired one.

"Meizu," He answered warily. "So are we doing the hand shaking thing or what?"

I rolled my eyes and held my hand out. He did the same and we shook hands.

Shortly after he let go waved his hand around. "Whoa, that was so weird." He said with goofy enthusiasm.

"So, what did you want my help with?" I asked.

Meizu went out of his trance and answered. "We need help with gathering food. We've been hearing about someone who has successfully done it a couple of times, and we're assuming it's you."

"Yup, you got that one right? And it's not food gathering it's hunting."

"Okay, whatever, so what do you say?"

"Sure," Kids will be kids. "Where do we hunt first?"

Meizu looked around and finally pointed at Aya's stand. "This one,"

"No," I disagreed flatly.

"Why not? It's super close." Meizu argued.

"Yes the owner and I are _super close_." I explained. "As long as, I don't steal from her, she won't rat me out."

Gozu made a 'hmpf' sound and crossed his arms. "No wonder it was so hard to find you."

I ignored him and voiced my thoughts. "It's almost lunch time," I said looking at the sky. _Dark and gloomy as always, but the market is beginning to get crowded._

"Let's go for bread or rice...or sushi. Which one do you prefer?" I asked turning to them.

"Bread... two loaves." They answered in unison.

"Just two, why not make it five?" I suggested.

"Okay," Gozu agreed.

I nodded and called Kiiro. "Please help us distract, okay Kiiro?" He barked enthusiastically. "Good boy." I said as I scratched his ears.

"How is a dog going to help us?"

"I've never been caught, did you really think I worked alone?" None of them answered at that I rolled my eyes. "Meizu you be the distraction, Gozu you're coming with me."

* * *

**_~7 minutes later_**

"The brats went over there!" Aya exclaimed at the bread stand owner.

I panted. "Meizu, **_*pant*_** you idiot! **_*pant*_**"

"I said **_*pant*_** I was sorry!" He whisper-shrieked.

We only managed to grab two loaves because the distraction _accidentally _pointed at our direction.

"They're gone, Harumi-chan."

"Thanks, Aya-san."

"No problem," She went back to her business like nothing happened.

"I don't like hunting with you two, it gets me in too much trouble. However, exercise is required once in a while."

"Would it help if I say you're pretty cool for a girl?" Meizu tried his luck.

But all his 'luck' got him was a punch on the shoulder. "Idiot, how can you not tell the difference between a male and a female?"

He rubbed his arm. "You're a guy?!"

I scowled. "Of course, I am!"

"Please do explain, Harumi-chan." Gozu said emphasizing both my name and the honorific.

"Harumi, though more common for girls, is unisex and I don't have anything to cut my hair with," I explained.

They stared at me with calculating gazes. I continued to scowl until it suddenly turned into a wide grin when familiar chakra popped into existence beside me.

"Hello, Mangetsu." I greeted.

"Hey!" He replied with the same amount of enthusiasm, obviously oblivious to the two frozen kids. "I brought apples this time."

"Great," I said. "Thanks a lot."

He blinked and turned to Meizu and Gozu, finally noticing their presence. Narrowing his eyes he asked, "Harumi, who are they?"

"Oh, them?" I stabbed a thumb at the two. "Don't worry they help me with hunting, first mission went great!" I said the last part sarcastically.

"I said I was sorry," Meizu whined.

"Sorry doesn't fix anything." Gozu said taking my side.

Mangetsu gave me the plastic bag and said, "Here, Harumi see you in a while." Before jumping away.

"Who was that?" Gozu asked.

"Just... an accomplice," I said._ Or a friend._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Takeshi's P.O.V._**

The chunin exams lasted for a week it took most of Team Minato's time and didn't give me a chance to talk to Obito or Rin.

Unlike my test the exam was closer to the canon one. The first stage was an ordinary written test and the second stage was a regulated match between two teams with one of their jonin sensei being the referee.

As usual, Obito was late and in addition to that he choked on a piece of candy, and Gai unintentionally saved his life when he kicked Obito on the face.

The third stage was an individual battling match. First round was Kakashi vs. random ninja, Obito vs. Gai, and Rin vs. Genma; the results were Kakashi, Gai and Genma. Another match was made before the last round was battled, Kakashi vs. Gai, obviously Kakashi was the victor.

In conclusion, Kakashi is the only one promoted... or he kept his rank because he's already a chunin. The whole test was unfair Kakashi was personally trained by the _White Fang_ and the _Yellow Flash_.

Now that the exam was over I received its aftershock. I had to take care of my youthful, slightly depressed and discouraged friends, while Kakashi and Minato had a chat with the Hokage.

"Next time... next I will beat Kakashi! From this day forth, Hatake Kakashi is my rival!" Gai exclaimed to the heavens.

"But I thought you already considered him as your rival?"

"Do I?" I nodded. "Well, then... he shall be my **Eternal Rival**!"

"I can't believe I got beaten by him." Obito murmured to no one in particular.

"Hey, Gai if you go home now I promise to have a race or two with you tomorrow." I offered. I need to lessen my burden.

His face brightened. "I expect that tomorrow my eternal rival's youthful little brother!" He exclaimed giving his 'nice guy' pose.

"Right, that's the spirit!" A little too much spirit.

"See you by the second gate tomorrow." He said before running towards his apartment.

I watched his dust trail as it vanished. "We need to keep training. There's always a next time so you guys should best be prepared for that." I told Obito and Rin.

"All right Takeshi-kun," Rin agreed. "Can you help with senbon throwing? Genma-san seems to be better than me at it."

"Sure let's go, Obito-nii, Rin-chan." They froze mid-step so I turned around. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Obito said.

I narrowed my eyes._ That was obviously a lie... oh well, I'll let it go, for now._

* * *

Constant thuds could be heard around the clearing, Obito frantically threw shuriken at the logs, while Rin and I took a break under a tree.

She read a book on medical ninjutsu while I formed towers with my leaves.

**_I want you to go back to Konoha and befriend Obito... The other people who you see in your visions too, befriend them, earn their trust. I want you to act as if you are still you._**

Madara reminded me the last time I saw him inside the cave.

I frowned._ I don't want to help Madara, but he has me cornered. I don't want to help Konoha, but they provide me with my main base of operations._

I sighed. _This is really annoying. Madara's got his eye on me and the Leaf is probably also spying on me._

I smirked. _Good thing I agreed to send Harumi to Kiri, I can just imagine the look on his face when I tell him about it._ My victorious smirk slowly melted into a confused frown. _But didn't Madara tell me to make connections with important people? Mangetsu is connected to Suigetsu and Suigetsu is connected to Sasuke which makes my friendship with Mangetsu an advantage for Madara._

I gritted my teeth. _Damn it, he wanted me to do that. He can read every single one of my moves._

_Oh, that's right, the Hokage. Sadly, for him, the only way he can get me back to his side is to tell me the truth about Sakumo. It lets me know that they trust me._

_Besides, I wouldn't just lash out on the village just because they influenced Sakumo into killing himself... or would I?_

The tower I tried to build fell apart. _Speaking of Sakumo, what was his mission all about anyway? I assumed that it was a delivery mission, but what could be so important that it could start a war? Konohagakure vs. Iwagakure, What could it be?_

"Takeshi-kun," Rin started. "Are you all right?"

I jumped startled by her voice. "Y-Yeah I'm fine, why would I not be fine?" _Real smooth._

"Well you've been making weird faces, ever since you started building you... structure."

I laughed, a forced, awkward laugh. "It happens all the time, ask Hideo-sensei."

"No need, I trust you." She smiled sweetly.

"Trust?" _How can she just say that?_ Trust is something you only give to a person close to you... _how can she just-?_

My face flushed. _What the hell am I blushing for?_

"I..." Before I could continue the familiar chakra of Minato and Kakashi flared behind me.

"Takeshi, let's go home." Kakashi said bluntly.

"Ok, Kashi-nii," I started to walk back home but Kakashi seemed to be frozen. "What's wrong?"

_This is becoming annoying, just keep walking already._

Minato smiled and grabbed us both. In a split second we were inside the Hatake residence.

"Take care you two." He said before disappearing.

Soon after I felt arms around me. "Your back," Kakashi said.

"What?"

"Your back," He repeated.

I let him hold on for a while until I felt uncomfortable and fidgeted.

I've been training in the dark with Danzo for nearly 3 years. Automatically when something comes too close to I already panic and the signals would go haywire and I would fidget.

But that was only if an enemy was near._ Does that mean I can't trust Kakashi?_

I immediately believed my first conclusion and try to get my way out with words. "Hey, Kakashi let's go get some food. Do we have any sushi or rice balls?"

Instead of letting go like I planned he tightened his grip. My brain immediately screamed, _Let go! _and if I lacked self-control I would have pushed him away.

He held me by the shoulder arms length and glared. "Why are you afraid? What's wrong?"

"I don't know," I admitted.

_He intimidates you! You don't trust him! He can't be trusted! You need to get away! He's on to you! Run before it's too late! _My thoughts screamed.

_This isn't right!_

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_I'm not upset that you lied to me, I'm upset that from now on I can't believe you._**

**_~Friedrich Nietzsche_**

* * *

**A/N: **The original chapter 13, like 15, was accidentally erased so this is basically a re-write of what I could remember, with a few tweaks. Hopefully it didn't go too far off.


	14. Tree Roots

**Word count:** 3,434

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_I don't trust Kakashi... _I repeated the thought not liking how it sounded, it made no sense. Sakumo wanted me to watch over Kakashi and yet I don't trust him, the only person I have left. I told him a piece of what I knew in my old life. _Why?!_

...

It was the middle of the night only the constant drop of water filled the 'cave'. No sign of any human being could be seen or heard. I scowled at the wall in front of me.

"Why?!" I whispered angrily. I couldn't understand myself, I care for him but I don't trust him. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," I said, holding my head as if trying to keep it from falling apart. "It makes no sense!" I again whispered angrily.

My breathing's pace increased, my head throbbed in confusion, my heart pounded in panic, and my chakra flared due to mixed emotions and disoriented thoughts. If I was anywhere near Konoha ANBU would be flooding the house by now. _I don't trust Kakashi... That was an understatement. The right sentence would be, I don't trust anybody._ "Pathetic, I'm pathetic." I paused frowning. "Damn it!" I screamed breaking down. _I never wanted this life._ I thought desperately.

My whole form was a mess my long, spiky black hair was tied in a low ponytail but it was messy and wet because of sweat, my goggles hung at my neck and my clothes were covered in grass and mud. All this was the result of me lashing out at the forest outside, a fair amount of the trees were dead and no animal dared to come near.

"Takeshi..." Madara's raspy voice rang in my ears. "Although I don't know what you are trying to say I suggest you tell me what is happening, using words that can be understood."

"I don't trust you!" I told him.

"We can't understand anything you're saying." Zetsu complained in annoyance.

"I don't care if you understand or not! No one cares, no one will understand! I want to tell someone but I can't! It's too risky." I started to shake. Madara gave me a disappointed sigh.

I **knew **I wasn't making any sense, I'm speaking in a different language, for crying out loud, but it helped, it helped me feel better somehow. It made things seem normal for a second, it was a short amount of time, but it satisfied me which was all that mattered.

"He is broken beyond repair." Zetsu noted.

I growled at him angrily. "Broken beyond repair," I mocked him. "What about you?! Try looking at yourself first you backstabbing creep!"

Zetsu buried his face in his hands. "Madara-sama...? What now?"

"Kinju Takeshi," He said not caring if I was listening or not. "I have no idea why you are acting this way, but do remember one thing, you brought this upon yourself. Whatever 'this' may be." He said harshly sending a glare at my direction.

It hurt to see him mad. Why? I don't know it's just an automatic reaction. But he's right, no one told me to join Madara or Danzo or become a ninja, it was all me. Nobody was turning my wheels for me, I decided for myself.

I hugged my knees. "I need to calm down... I have to get through this... Maybe..." I choked. "No matter what happens I won't let this world affect me... I will try to... Someday everything will go back to normal... He, Madara can help..."

"Madara-sama, I think he's going to faint any minute now." Zetsu said.

He was right I felt tired, emotion got to me again. My head spun as my vision blurred, I shook my head to keep myself awake. "Uchiha-sama, I sent a clone to-"

"I know... Just tell me why." He ordered. My head was down for a few seconds before I forced it to stay up.

"Kisame... Akatsuki... Three tails... Obito... Mizukage... War... Amegakure..." I managed to say. I supported my head on the wall behind me.

"Rest and we will talk tomorrow."

I nodded limply and said something that I can't seem to recognize before falling asleep.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_"You can't be serious." Kakashi deadpanned. I pouted at him and didn't move an inch. "Really, Takeshi?" I nodded grinning. _He's going to do it.

_"Fine," He said giving up, forming a fist with his hand. "This will not happen again, ok?" I nodded again and bumped fists with him._

_He stared at his fist as if it was an alien. "See that wasn't so bad, right, Kashi-nii?" He didn't respond so I pouted. "Lighten up Kashi-nii it's just a 'fist bump'."_

_"Takeshi you need to stop making up words." He said redirecting his attention to me._

_"I didn't make it up!" I whined._

_"Oh, really? Like that story about a boy raised by a dragon?" He asked raising a brow._

_"Yes." I answered. _If the Narutoverse was real then I'm going to assume that all the other anime exist too. They are just in a different dimension.

_"Takeshi, I'm back. It's time to go home!" I grinned and ran over to father. "Dad!" I hugged his leg tightly._

_"Energetic as usual," He said lifting me. I hugged his neck and buried my face on his shoulder._

_"I missed you, dad!"_

* * *

_"Takeshi, if Kakashi is in trouble what would you do?" Sakumo asked out of the blue._

_I leveled my wooden kunai and aimed at the target. "Trouble?" I paused and closed one an eye to get a better view of the target. "I'll save him obviously."_

_He chuckled. "I suppose that would be the obvious answer. But what if it was against the rules?"_

_I scoffed and lost sight of my aim. "Against the rules," I mocked. "That's stupid. A rule that tells you to let a comrade die in the hands of the enemy, genius," I said sarcastically. "Who made that rule?" I asked turning to him._

_He laughed. "That rule doesn't exist, Takeshi. I just wanted to know what you would think during a situation like that. Anything can happen during a mission, so we best be prepared for the worst." He explained with a smile._

_"Oh. Well then either way it's a lose-lose situation." I said throwing the kunai and missing the middle by an inch or two. "Good enough... For now," I murmured._

_"Don't be so hard on yourself. You did well."_ _He said reassuring me._

* * *

_"Obito, maybe this wasn't such a good." I tried to convince him._

_"What are you talking about? Of course this is a good idea." He retorted._

_"Running up a tree, with no hands, is a good idea?"_

_"Running up a tree _while using chakra _is a good idea." He corrected._

_"You can barely hold ten leaves on your fingertips."_

_"So?"_

_My head fell down in defeat. _He doesn't care._ "If you can barely do that, then how are you-?"_

_"You and Kakashi do it all the time so it shouldn't be that hard." He stated._

_I groaned. I wanted to point out a lot of things but decided against it when Obito started to run up. My eyes widened._ He's doing it. *thump* Never mind...

_"I told you it wasn't a good idea."_

_He stood up and glared at the tree. "I can do this." He insisted. "If I can't then I don't deserve to be the Hokage."_

He's really loyal to his dream... Too bad he's not going to get what he wants.

* * *

_"Takeshi-kun, why do you always wear goggles?" Rin asked curiously._

_I tapped on the mirror as I thought of an excuse. "Well... People might think my eyes are weird."_

_She tilted her head. "Why?"_

_I didn't know how to answer the question, so I pulled down my goggles and looked at her. She didn't say anything and just stared. I quietly sighed, relieved. _Good I got away with it._ "See? I knew it."_

_I was about to put the goggles back on but a hand stopped me. "A yellow carnation flower means _cheerful _while a yellow chrysanthemum means _secret admirer_. A sunflower means _adoration_. A yellow rose means _zealous _and a yellow tulip means _hopelessly in love_. Which one is your meaning, Takeshi-kun?" She asked smiling sweetly._

_I blushed I didn't know what to say. "Did you learn that during kunoichi classes?"_ Really that's all I got?

_"Yes. Small things can hold a lot of meaning, Takeshi-kun." She answered._

_I nodded slowly then an idea popped in my head. "Hey, Rin-chan, why don't you give Kakashi a yellow chrysanthemum?"_

_She let go of my hand and turned as red as a tomato. "W-what? W-why would I do that?" She stuttered._

_"Well because you said it meant secret admirer. You like Kakashi, right?" I asked innocently._ No shame.

_"Don't tell anyone, please Takeshi-kun."_ I don't think I need to point out the obvious.

_"Sure!" I said putting my goggles back on._

_"Hello, you two." Mikoto greeted passing by with Itachi._

_"Hello, Mikoto-san." Rin greeted as I fixed my goggles._

_"What were you two talking about?"_

_"Hi, Mikoto-nee-chan! Hi, Itachi! We were just talki-" Rin covered my mouth._

_"Nothing at all," She said with a nervous laugh._

_Mikoto laughed at our ridiculousness. "Takeshi." Itachi said reaching for me._

_I pulled Rin's hand off my face. "Don't worry, Itachi, Rin-chan wasn't hurting me."_

_"Rin?" He said confused._

* * *

_"I promise that I, Kinju Yukimaru, shall go with my son, Takeshi, to the academy on his first day of school!" Father exclaimed with his hands on his hips with his chest puffed out._

_I laughed at him. "Make sure you keep that promise." I joked. _Back in the old world I only had grandfather with me...

_"Of course I will. Trust me." He grinned._

_I hugged him. "I love you, dad." I didn't know why I said it, but I did and I felt content._

_"Love you too, Kiiro."_

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

My eyes flew open. I shook my head. _Dreams are becoming more and more detailed._

"Good you are awake..."

"Uchiha-sama..." I bowed my head remembering my earlier breakdown. "I'm sorry for-"

"That is not important, Takeshi." He interrupted. _What? But didn't I just make a big fuss outside his **secret **hideout? _"Everything that you did yesterday only happened in a genjutsu." He explained. _Well no wonder he's not mad. _"Now for a more important topic..." He raised a suspicious brow demanding a proper explanation.

"K-Kiri..." I winced as I started. "Kisame, the man who looks like a shark, is a very loyal future member of the Akatsuki... I... I also saw a vision of the Three Tails with Obito beside it and the Mizukage..."

"Yagura...?"

"Y-yes, the 4th Mizukage... At Amegakure war will happen with... I'm not sure who and the three orphans. They created the Akatsuki." He raised a brow when I said I didn't know who the person was.

"If the orphans created the Akatsuki then how am I the leader of the organization?" He asked not completely believing my story.

I knitted my brows trying to remember. "... Obito, that's where Obito comes in... He somehow convinces the orphans to join him and then he becomes the new leader."

He closed his eyes deep in thought. "I might actually have some use for Kirigakure and the Three Tails." He told me.

The cave was silent. **_*drip* *drop* *drip*_**"U-Uchiha-sama, may I ask how I ended up here?" I hesitantly asked.

"Zetsu..." He answered. My eye twitched a little. _They kidnapped me..._

"Wouldn't anyone get suspicious? How long have I been here?" I asked with slight panic. _If they see that I was gone they will hunt me down._

"That is not important now, child." He snapped. I kept quiet, I might be crazy but I wouldn't dare talk back to Madara when he is frustrated.

The cave went silent once again.**_*drop* *drip* *drop* *drip* *drop*_**

"I was telling you the truth about your father. Though it may not be accurate I gave you some of the original pieces of the puzzle."_ He read my mind, he knew I-_ "I know what you are going through, boy. You distrust every person around you. The only reason, I see, for this kind of behavior would be that you involved yourself in something. Tell me, what have you been doing these past few years?"

_It's not what I have done these past few years Madara, it's what I have done since I was born into this hell hole._

"I trained with Danzo." He grabbed my arm harshly and looked me in the eye with his sharingan spinning.

"He is an enemy and a big hindrance to my plans." He narrowed his eyes. "Why would you spend all those years training with the enemy? Didn't you even think that he would learn your moves and have advantage over you in the battlefield?" He said with malice but not losing his calm composure. _I suppose emotion can get to anyone._

"I did it for the plan. If I have enough information on Danzo and his 'plans' we can avoid, manipulate and read his moves better and..." I paused, gulping. _Should I tell him or not?_

"And, what?" He asked with killing intent. I could hear my heartbeat ring in my ears. Eyes wide in horror, I could barely breathe. My mouth felt dry and I was terrified._ I thought he would be angrier because I sent a clone to Kiri without his permission._

"A-a-and w-we can g-get rid of him fast-ter." I said shaking. I can feel that he wanted to kill me right here, now. I know getting rid of Danzo wasn't possible because I don't plan on ruining Sasuke's little revenge match with him.

Madara's grip didn't change my arm was starting to numb because the flow of blood to my hands was being blocked by his hand. "I-I'm sorry, Uchiha-sama." I couldn't think of anything else to say._ If he doesn't let go now..._

His features softened but his grip didn't. "How do you plan on escaping Danzo, I've heard you are still in contact with him." _That's it, I've lost control over my hand, its limp._

"I'll tell him Harumi is dead."

* * *

Madara sent me back with Zetsu watching me. The genjutsu felt like hours yet it only lasted for 10 minutes. I was only with them for 2 hours... The capabilities of illusions are immeasurable. But the memory of Madara grabbing my arm was not an illusion, I had to use bandages to cover up the bruise. I have to admit, for a dying old man he's pretty strong.

I carried on with my day as normal as I can manage to make it. I avoided Kakashi the whole day by asking Hideo to train me. But to him most of the time training meant food and talk, important talk.

"Hideo-sensei..." I started.

"What is it Takeshi?" He asked looking up from his bowl of curry.

"Would it be unnatural if I tell you that...?" I hesitated. _What the hell?! I'm chickening out _now_?!_

"Go on..." He coaxed.

"If... If tell you that I don't know how to kill a person." I quickly said.

He sighed. "It's never easy to do your first kill Takeshi. But in time-"

"No, no, no! It's not that _I don't know_, it's more like I can't- _I don't want to kill_." I buried my head in my arms. "I'm a ninja yet I don't have the courage to kill another human." I mumbled in my arms. He placed his arms around my shoulders and gave me a side-hug.

"We're the same in many ways, my little student. I was like you too, a kid that trained year-round, hoping to get stronger. But a problem, a huge problem, we can't find it in ourselves... Killing another person is the biggest **'Do Not Do.'** in our mental rule book. And as we grow up it gets harder to keep it to ourselves. Every day we kill other people who our village view as the 'enemy', but in truth, back at their home we are the bad guys." He smiled. _Everything he said is how I really view this world..._

"I am glad that you decided to tell me, today you proved that you trusted me." _I trusted him. _The feeling of knowing that you have someone you can trust, someone who can understand you, was wonderful. I couldn't help but give him a sign that I was happy to have him around. A simple smile.

"But what was this news that I've heard from Minato-san." _Oh no, he's bringing it up. _It thought with dread. _Wait, I can tell him anything. I can trust him. _"Why have you been avoiding your brother?" He asked with concern.

"I don't trust him." I said. He winced at my bluntness.

"Why?"

"Because he-"_ and Mangetsu._ "-doesn't seem to be affected by the fact that he had to kill a human. He's too dedicated, it scares me, to say the least. Kashi-nii follows the 'Shinobi Rules' too much. I'm afraid that if we were put in a situation where he was forced to-"

"That won't happen." Hideo said with a serious tone. _You don't know what he's capable of! He can kill Rin if he was forced to!_

"You are the only person Kakashi trusts. You know things Minato doesn't. You know Sakumo-san as well as Kakashi does, meaning you are the only one that could relate to him. You're the only person that he hugs." He said smiling.

I tensed._ Wait, did I hear that right?_ "Takeshi?"

I tried my hardest not to grimace and smiled widely at him. "Thank you, Hideo-sensei. Maybe I should talk to Kakashi."

"You do that!" He said with a salute.

* * *

I was not afraid of Kakashi that night. I was agitated by someone/something else, **an intruder, a stalker or a spy? **

Kakashi rarely hugs me, before yesterday evening the last time he hugged me must have been 3-4 years ago. _How did Hideo know?_

Kakashi wasn't the reason I panicked yesterday, that was a relief, but that doesn't mean what I told 'Hideo' isn't true.

**...**

_Konoha I have had enough of you and your ridiculous future. Your people shunned my parents and indirectly killed Sakumo. Now you violate my privacy giving the impression that you don't trust me. My service for you is finished, now it's time for a new plan._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_? ? ?'s P.O.V._**

"How was the mission?"

"I have gathered more information about Kinju Takeshi, he has fully trusted 'Hideo' and said that he couldn't kill a human being." I answered.

"I see, a very interesting piece of information... Very well, continue posing as Sugiyama Hideo and report to me every day." He chuckled. "Kinju Takeshi is still a child, he never noticed this even though it has been going on, ever since the very first day he met 'Hideo-sensei'."

I stayed silent. "Keep an eye on the child a little longer. We need to make sure he never finds out how Sakumo died, because if he does... Not even the Hokage or Kakashi would be able to reason with him. Do you understand?"

_'Never question your superiors.' My mission is to protect the village at all costs._ "Yes, Danzo-sama."

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Life is a monopoly. Everyone strives to be above all others, but the determination of some might lead to their own downfall._**

**_~Anonymous_**

* * *

**A/N:**

I like mysteries. The dreams are just insight on Takeshi's relationship with some of the characters. Like P.O.V. changing, it will not happen if not needed. No fighting yet.

~NoIdea135 *5798*


	15. Medicine

**A/N: **The original chapter 15 was accidentally erased so this is basically a re-write of what I could remember, with a few tweaks. Hopefully it didn't go too far off.

**Word count: **1,800

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Nine-tails attack: 5 years_**

**_Harumi's P.O.V._**

I sat alone by the alley both the twins went out to hunt with Kiiro.

Bored out of my mind was how I felt after about two minutes of being alone so I decided to do some chakra exercises like walking on the walls.

"Hey, Harumi I'm back!" My 'clan kid friend' greeted.

I yawned. "Hey, Mangetsu," He stared at me with mixed feeling of confusion and disbelief dancing in his facial expression.

"How-?" He pointed at me and repeated. "How-?"

"The twins and I found out about it when we saw some ninjas 'walk' by." I explained slowly going down the walls. Dizziness came to me like a door to the face and I almost fell to the ground if not for Mangetsu.

"Whoa, are you ok?"

"Just tired," I murmured and glanced at my arm. The drowsiness suddenly left when I saw my hand fade, the color changed from pale to green.

_I'm just a clone, I won't live forever. Real me, must be informed about this as soon as possible._

"Harumi, are you still awake?" Mangetsu asked, slight concern could be heard from his voice.

"Yeah I just need some rest," I answered.

"That's good," I heard him sigh. "When you get better, I'll teach you how to walk on water." He exclaimed.

"Why?"

"Because I promised, don't you remember?"

"Um..."

* * *

_"But I'm a boy, shouldn't I learn how to fight a little?"_

_"Of course, if you don't know how to fight then you have no future in this village."_

_"That is true... Say, if you learn something useful can you maybe teach me?"_

_"If I have time, then maybe,"_

_"Thanks."_

* * *

"Yeah, I remember." I answered with a yawn.

"Are you sure you're ok?"

The drowsiness returned and my mind seemed to explore a bit. "Of course, you worry too much Ashi-nii."

"What did you just call me?"

"It doesn't matter good night, Ashi-nii." I ended up falling asleep.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Takeshi's P.O.V._**

I tapped my pencil on the desk and tried to write a letter to Danzo explaining Harumi's 'death' but decided against it when I saw no possible escape.

Hideki the messenger bird I created pecked on the random objects placed on Kakashi's desk._ I'm surprised he's still alive... although he is _my _creation._

I glanced at Kakashi to check if he was awake, luckily he slept like a sack. But I'm still wary because he might just wake up because of a single snap. I imagine him a bit paranoid, which deep inside I know he is.

* * *

_Maybe I can buy us both, either a bed or a cot? I don't like sleeping on futons anymore._

"Yeah that sounds nice." I told Rin though not completely listening to her.

"Takeshi-kun, can you do me a favor?" She asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

"I want to go visit and orphanage and talk to Yakushi Nono, she is the captain of the Konoha medic corps," She twirled her fingers. "I was wondering of asking to be her apprentice because I think it would be very helpful to me," She laughed nervously. "The orphanage is located at the outskirts of the village, I wanted to ask if you could accompany me there. I thought going alone would be a bit embarrassing so, um..."

"Why not Obito... or Kakashi, By the way did you already give Kakashi a yellow chrysanthemum?" I asked.

"N-No," She stuttered, her face flushed in embarrassment. "Anyway, the two of them are a bit _busy _if you know what I mean."

Kakashi is busy with training and Obito is busy challenging him or pranking with Kushina. So usually I was the only one left to talk to the only female member of Team Minato.

"Ok, I'll go with you."_ I don't really have anything else to do._

* * *

As Rin knocked on the front door I kept my hands inside my pockets. _So, I guess now I'm Pocket-man._

When the door opened a young woman with shoulder-length light brown hair covered by a white coif and emerald-green eyes greeted us. She wore a black, loose-fitting gown with a white apron over it with sandals and familiar looking circular glasses.

"Hello, welcome to the Konoha orphanage, how can I help you?" She asked sweetly.

While Rin talked to her I stared at her trying to remember where I first saw her.

"Hello, Nono-san my name is Nohara Rin and this is Takeshi." Rin cheerfully introduced the two of us.

Nono slightly flinched at my name and murmured, "Kinju?"

Rin presumably didn't hear it and asked, "What was that, Nono-san?"

"N-Nothing," Suddenly it clicked.

* * *

_"Dad do you have friends?"_

_He almost choked on a piece of meat at my statement. "Of course I do," He said. "Haven't you seen Sakumo-san and-"_

_"No not just them, I meant someone else." I clarified._

_"Someone else, you say?" He scratched his chin. "Oh, wait here, I've got something to show you." He said before walking off and rummaged through a small chest underneath the bed._

_He yanked out a picture and blew on it to get the dust away. He showed it to me and gave a sad smile. "The one on the right is your mother," He pointed at a beautiful woman with dark brown hair tied in a bun and forest green eyes. "And this is Yakushi Nono." He then pointed at a woman with light brown hair also tied in a bun and emerald eyes. Both women were smiling, looking happy despite all the worries I know they have._

_"Nono and your mother are both medic-nins, do you know what that means?"_

_I nodded enthusiastically. "Yup, they heal wounded ninjas."_

_"Exactly," Father gave me a proud smile. "You know I often told them they were twins." He said nonchalantly._

_"Can I meet her?"_

_"Unfortunately, I don't know where she is now," Father turned to me with a sad smile. "But if you do meet her tell her, Nono-chan you don't show up by the river anymore."_

* * *

I scowled. _What river was it?_

"I'm sorry, but I can't, I'm too busy." Nono gave Rin an apologetic smile.

"Please reconsider," Rin pleaded. "We'll help around the orphanage in return." She tried to bargain.

"We, you mean you two are going to help?" Nono clarified.

"Yes, Yakushi-san, I can't really let a friend down, couldn't I?" I said. "By the way you look familiar." I bluntly said with a hint of curiosity.

She turned to Rin. "I may start to reconsider."

_She ignored me... what a nice family friend, eh? The river, Mana, Nana, Naki... Naka River!_

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I suddenly felt pain around my arms. "Takeshi-kun, did you hear? Nono-san said yes."

"T-That's great," I said through gritted teeth, trying hard not to grimace. _Madara's bruise is still there, damn it, woman, let go!_

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_3rd Person's P.O.V._**

The tension inside the office was unbearable. Both the Hiruzen and Danzo sat across each other, Hiruzen on the Hokage seat and Danzo on the guests.

Danzo inwardly scowled, he thought about his turn, why did the Nidaime choose Hiruzen over him? Was it because he wasn't fast enough to volunteer?

Although today none of it mattered he and his friend were here, alone and unguarded by their personal Anbu, to talk about a certain Kinju.

"I think we should tell him-" Hiruzen decided to break the ice but was stopped mid-sentence by Danzo.

"You know full well what the consequences would be if he ever finds out about Sakumo's death." Danzo reminded him.

"Yes but..." Hiruzen didn't know how to continue, he slumped back on his chair and lowered his head. His hat shadowed his eyes from the Shimura.

"He is quite emotionally fragile when it comes to family and Sakumo as far as you and I know acts like a second father to him."

Hiruzen freely grimaced under his hat._ The child deserves to know the truth but the truth might destroy him._

Danzo sensing his side tipping over to becoming the victor continued to bombard Hiruzen with facts. "It is better this way, Hiruzen. What if he decides to leave the village when he finds out? What if enemies get their hands on him and use him against Konoha? Takeshi can be quite... _gullible_, you and I both know that."

Hiruzen didn't want to admit it but Danzo was right it was better this way, it was better to let the child be ignorant rather than to make him suffer with know the truth. Takeshi is living a normal life, as normal as a ninjas life can be; Hiruzen didn't want to ruin that.

He decided, for now the child will stay ignorant of the fact. "I suppose it would be best if we keep it to ourselves, at the moment."

Danzo nodded. "I'm glad I knocked some sense into to you, _friend_." He said.

Hiruzen nodded unsure on how to reply to the sudden proclamation of friendship. "Yes, thank you... _friend_."

Danzo inwardly smirked, feeling happiness with his victory, in person he stayed as calm and aloof as always. "Well, I must be leaving now," He stood up. "Hiruzen, until next time,"

"Yes, next time."

* * *

As Danzo walked to his headquarters his face was twisted into a smirk, a satisfied and victorious smirk. His face remained unchanged until he reached his office. His smirk immediately fell into a frown.

_Small, dark and gloomy as always. _He observed._ Not like Hiruzen's at all._

There was a knock on the door. Danzo sat down at his chair before granting the person permission to enter.

The door opened and the person bowed deeply. "Danzo-sama," He greeted.

"Anything to report, _Hideo_?"

He might not have the government power of a Kage but he had the power of an army of people with _darkness _lurking within their souls.

_The power of darkness is the key to protection._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_I preach darkness. I don't inspire hope, only shadows. It's up to you to find the light in my words._**

**_~Charles Lee_**

* * *

**A/N: **Quote's dedicated to Danzo, sort of.

~NoIdea135 *5798*


	16. Mist Orphans

**Word count:** 4,517

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Nine-tails attack: 4 years_**

**_Meizu's P.O.V._**

"_I'm going away for a few days, so try not to get into too much trouble._" My brother read from a piece of cardboard.

"That Harumi, is a weird guy." I told him. "Let me see that." I demanded reaching for the cardboard. Gozu moved it above his head as his other hand prevented me from getting any closer.

"I'll read it, it says. _Meizu, don't try to find me, don't lose Kiiro, don't get caught, and don't steal from Aya-san_."

"Damn, mind reader." I mumbled in annoyance. Gozu continued to read loudly while I thought to myself.

_He's awake during ungodly hours and sleeps through the day. He knows how to use chakra and he tried to teach us too. When we asked him for help, he didn't bargain. He was always 'nice' to us and he usually hangs out with the clan kid. And now he disappears leaving a message telling me, what I shouldn't do. _Weird, but cool,_ that's one way I might describe him._

"Meizu!"

"What?!" I jumped.

"You never listen." He shook his head in frustration. "I said, who is Mangetsu?"

I slowly scooted away from him. "That's a weird question, why do you want to know?"

He purposely slapped his forehead groaning. "Weren't you listening to me? Harumi said, _if Mangetsu ever stops by give him this 'letter', Meizu knows who he is. Also, only one person should hunt if I'm not there, one of you has to be the look out._"

"I'm not staying." I said, raising my hands and waving them around. I scowled, realizing something. "Why do we have to listen to him?"

He looked at me flatly. He muttered something under his breath while looking at Kiiro from the corner of his eyes.

"Whatever..." I huffed, crossing my arms.

"So, who's Mangetsu?" He asked again, annoyed.

"The white-haired boy who stops by every... Week," I told him trying to remember when he usually visits.

"The clan kid?"

"Yeah, I heard some kids from the academy say he's a prodigy of some sort, he's training to be one of the swordsmen."

Gozu crossed his arms. "That shouldn't be hard for him, I just remembered Harumi told me he's from the Hozuki clan."

I raised a brow. "So he's related to the 2nd Mizukage? Well no wonder he's got skills, I wouldn't be surprised if he does becomes a swordsman." I said while throwing rice at Kiiro. "Gozu write this down, '_The dog likes rice'._"

He sent chakra to his feet and grabbed the dog. "Stay here Kiiro and I are hunting." He then, ran away as fast as he can.

"Gozu, that's not fair! Get back here!" I screamed at him. _He's gone._

I sulked and reached for the cardboard and re-read the letter while eating small chunks of bread. I flipped the board and saw a small drawing on the corner. It looked like the kanji for fire, **火**, but with a straight line under where the line separates. "Wonder what this is." I shrugged. _I'll just ask Harumi when he gets back. Maybe it's just some 'doodle'... At least that's what he calls it._

_Phone, television, computer, laptop, and internet, where the hell does he get these words? And where is he anyway? He didn't mention a place._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Takeshi's P.O.V._**

"My head is fine, the nurse said so." I insisted. "I can walk alone now."

"Nothing that you say is going to change my mind." Kakashi said tightening his grip.

"But the nurse said, I'm **fine**," I retorted, emphasizing a few words. "And the **nurse **is Yakushi-san, **captain **of the **Konoha Medic Corps**. Don't you trust her skills?"

"Again, nothing that you say is going to change my mind."

"Fine," I said childishly.

I was at the hospital for three days because of another 'headache' that hasn't happened in 5 years. The doctors weren't entirely sure on what happened, all they knew was it had something to do with my brain's cerebral cortex. How I got to the hospital? I have no clue. But, I knew exactly what happened before arriving at the hospital.

2 weeks ago, Harumi informed me that he was 'dying' so we had to make a plan to get him out without anyone getting suspicious. He made a letter addressed to the three guys while I thought of an excuse for what's about to happen.

Days later he told me everything was set and I could release the jutsu. Since Harumi's plan was technically my plan, I didn't question and immediately, complied the next day.

First time, the clone only lived for a few months, and it felt painful as hell when I let the jutsu go. This time it was worse, it hurt so much I even wished I stayed dead because of the pain. It was like someone shot you on the head but instead of dying you lived to feel the pain.

Danzo's probably impatiently waiting for me to explain things. _This reminds me..._ I'm going to have to explain loads of fake and, hopefully, believable information.

"This wasn't the first time that happened." Kakashi said, with a serious tone.

"Y-" I stopped myself. Almost forgot, I'm not supposed to know that.

"Hm?"

"You sure? Because I think I'd remember something, that painful."

"The first time that happened was when we were 6. Jiraiya-san was there to help you. But this time it was worse I felt your chakra flaring from the other side of the village, even dead-last felt it." _Wow, it was that bad? ... Well I did compare it to a bullet through the head._

"Are you sure? Maybe Obito-nii's getting better?" I suggested.

He shook his head. "You have no idea how loud you were screaming." _Screaming? So, it really was that bad. _"If I ask, on a scale of 1 to 10 how painful it was what number would it be?" He asked._ What are you, a doctor?_

"8."

"8? Why not 10?"

"Because I'll only use 10 if I'm dying. So hearing 8 from me is as bad as hearing 100 from another person." I tried my luck again. "Kakashi please put me down. Becoming known as the 'two 'prodigies' playing piggy back' would slightly taint our reputation."

"I don't care." _Persistent brat..._

* * *

I absently tapped my pencil while thinking. I was right about Danzo demanding an answer because when Kakashi fell asleep Hideki landed on the window sill.

"Um... I should tell him Harumi was dying... Uh..." _How do I explain this?_ I ran a hand through my hair.

* * *

**_~2 hours later_**

[_Shimura-san,_]

[_My chakra levels were depleting and I needed to release the clone jutsu, the 'headache' was a side-effect. My clones won't live forever so this was bound to happen. I'm sorry Shimura-san, but I can't work anymore. Since my mission didn't harm the village, I see no reason to tell anybody. If you ever need help for anything, I'll more than happy to comply._]

_Also, can I release Hideki? He can't remember anything except for the map of the world, which would explain why you always have to tell him exactly where to go._]

_~Kinju Takeshi_]

_That was a lot harder than I expected._ I exhaled deeply. "Finally!" I cheered, whispering. _Now Danzo wouldn't suspect a thing and if I missed anything he still has 'Hideo' watching me. _I suspect he's the one who sent 'Hideo'. _I can't think of anyone else who'd do that._

I tied the letter to Hideki's leg. He flew off in a second._ I wonder where Danzo's been sending Hideki. _I smirked._ Never mind, I'll find out in a few hours._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_Dang, three days has passed and I still don't know how to get back to Kiri... Look on the bright side Danzo fell for the letter and his reply was a simple 'yes'._

When I released Hideki the headache felt like a playful flick on the forehead compared to the previous one. The memories I saw were consisted of mostly trees, dark rooms, creepy Anbu masks, and a few buildings.

_Danzo is sending letters to Iwagakure and Kumogakure. Does he have spies there? Probably. What is he planning?_

While in the middle of over-thinking someone knocked on the door. I ignored it at first, but the knocks didn't stop and seconds later it sounded like someone impersonating a woodpecker.

"Just a minute!" I groaned at the door. The knocking didn't stop, which made me scowl. _Geez, is this person trying to destroy the door?_

When I opened it I was tackled._ Good thing I knew how to balance myself. _"We passed!" I heard a voice say. It was Obito and Rin was with him. _What are they doing here? I thought they were training with Minato. Wait... Pass?_

"Congratulations, chunin newbies." I said lazily. "Do you always have to do that? Hug Rin-chan next time." I complained.

He blushed and Rin giggled at us. "Obito, he just got out of the hospital three days ago, don't make too much noise."

"Did Kakashi say that?" Rin nodded, blushing at the mention of Kakashi. "Over-protective kid," I mumbled.

"Rat! Where?" Obito panicked taking out a kunai.

My eye twitched. _How did he get 'rat' from 'over-protective kid'? _"There is no rat. And do you really need to kill it, why not just throw it out?"

He hid his kunai in the pouch and scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Why are you two here?"

"Minato-san sent us to tell you that we'll be leaving in two hours for a C-rank mission." Rin answered.

_What!? Already? _"Okay, where?" I asked slightly worried.

"Near the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Water," I sighed, relieved._ Good, not _that _mission yet. Why am I so paranoid about that? _"I can't help at the orphanage for a week so do you mind stopping by alone?" She asked.

"Sure, no problem," My eyes widened as an idea hit me. "Did you say Land of Water?"

"Yeah, why?" Obito asked, raising a brow.

"Wait here."

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Obito's P.O.V._**

_This is the first time I'm leaving Konoha! _I thought, happily._ The Land of Fire is a large country, but as the future Hokage I must familiarize myself with all the hidden villages. Traveling missions will help me with my goal. _"What's that, Obito?" Sensei asked, pointing at the extra pouch I had.

"Takeshi gave it as a gift for passing the exam, he said it will help during the mission, somehow." I lifted a small pouch in front of me. "I don't know what's in-"

"Leaves," Kakashi interjected.

"How are leaves going help? Unless it's for going to the-"

"No."

"Then wha-?"

"When an enemy attacks, throw the pouch at them."

"Why? Will it-?"

I stopped when I met his glare. "Use it when you screw up then watches what happens, dead-last." He said harshly and turned his back on me then walked away like nothing happened. Minato-sensei sent me an apologetic smile and followed Kakashi.

_"Try to understand him, he's been through a lot. Both him and Takeshi," _Sensei's words echoed in my head. _Understand him... How's that even possible? I'd rather try to understand Takeshi, he's easier to talk to and he's not rude... Unless he's sleepy, _

_If he and Kakashi both went through tough times, then Takeshi obviously handles it better than the bastard. In other words the younger one is more mature._

"Obito, sensei wants us to travel faster." Rin said, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I blushed. "O-ok,"_ I spaced out, that was so embarrassing. Rin's always so nice, though. Maybe I should take Takeshi's advice and give her yellow crystal flowers or whatever it's called._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Harumi's P.O.V._**

I love manipulating people. Scientists say, having the knowledge about the future can make a person crazy... They aren't wrong about that, it definitely feels like my head will shut down any minute. But I can't give up the 'knowledge', manipulating makes me feel alive, especially if it's Konoha folks.

_I control the Leaf and the Leaf controls me._

Finally! The reason Orochimaru fool people is revealed. It's fun to mess with people, it sounds cruel but everybody has done it at least once and they damn well enjoyed every bit of it.

**Step 1: **Make a 'clone' and use the Leaf Chameleon Technique then put him in a pouch.

**Step 2: **Give the pouch to your 'friend' and wait patiently until he/she uses your 'gift'.

**Step 3: **Attack your 'friend's' enemy then pretend to be an innocent pile of leaves and wait for your friend and his teammates to go away.

**Step 4: **Start to find your way through the forest and ride a boat to Kiri.

_I'm acting like a happy lunatic, just because I successfully infiltrated another country, without anyone knowing... Never mind that sounds awesome!_

_Now to find the village... After I get off this boat,_

Surprisingly, I'm in the same lumber-delivery-boat that I was in before. The two guys didn't change that much either so I ate their food this time.

"Why do you always have to eat all the rice?" A deep voice complained.

The other scoffed at him. "How can I eat when I'm steering the wheel, genius?"

The former shoved the box beside his head. "Then explain why this is empty!" He demanded.

"Maybe you left it open and a bird found it attractive."

"Oh wow, what are the odds of that happening?" He mocked. "Attractive? Couldn't you have chosen a different word?"

"No."

He sighed in defeat and placed the box on the deck floor.

After a few minutes of silence he spoke up. "What do you think would our lives be, if Uzushiogakure was never destroyed?" _That went downhill faster than- Wait! Uzushiogakure?!_

The 'driver' grunted. "We're better off here. If Uzushio survived we'd still be at war... Maybe with Konoha?" He shook his head. "Why do we even bother thinking about this? Uzushio is dead. Our family is dead. Our clan people are mostly dead and..." He stopped, shaking in anger.

His friend added gravely. "Etsuko-sama?"

"Shut up." He said coldly.

I always thought it was impossible for them to be quiet until now._ They were citizens of Uzushio. Who's Etsuko?_

"I can see the coast. We should be there in about 30 minutes or so."_ Are they Kinju or Uzumaki?_

I materialized half my head and peered from behind a log. The person who manoeuvres the boat wore a sleeveless V-neck shirt, pants and a pair of sandals. His brown hair was partly covered with a bandanna. The other had his arms crossed, looking at the other from the corner of his eyes. His clothes were exactly the same, except he doesn't have hair, either that or his hair's completely hidden.

_I might need to visit these guys when I'm 'older'._

Infiltrating Kiri was the same as before, not hard, not easy and the rat-tactic is very useful. Finding the guys wasn't hard either they were both asleep for it was night-time or maybe early morning. It's hard to tell the difference at Kiri.

Kiiro kept his distance and slept on my side of the alley._ Might as well join the snore-fest. _I thought yawning, I lied down beside Kiiro and hugged the animal. My body was tired due to overusing chakra I fell asleep in a snap.

* * *

**_~Morning_**

"What the-!" Hearing a shout, I bolted up and pinned the person closest to me to the ground. But opening my eyes made me realize I had over-reacted.

"Hey, Meizu, How's life?" I asked lazily, getting off of him.

"What the hell?! You're back!" He exclaimed, surprised by my sudden appearance.

"It's nice to be here." Kiiro greeted me by licking my face while wagging his tail.

"And you look different." Gozu added with a yawn.

"I got taller, so what? It's just by an inch." Everything about me is the same except for my height. When I was here before I didn't grow, obviously because I'm a clone. So I changed myself a bit to make it seem like I'm a normal growing kid._ And I might have brought something else with me._

"Where have you been?" Meizu asked.

"Jumping into interrogation already? If you really must know, I was exploring the village that's all."

"Right, I'm so convinced." Meizu said, clearly not in the mood for jokes. "Be honest young lady, where have you been?"

"Not in the mood for jokes." I mumbled. _Clearly I was wrong._ Shaking the annoyance away I grinned at them. "I've been 'spying' on academy kids while they train. I saw a few moves and I'm still trying to work it out." I said punching the air in front of me.

"We 'spy' on academy kids too and we never saw you there." Gozu told me.

"Which class were you watching, the first years?" I guessed.

"Yes." They replied together.

"I watched the graduating class." I lied.

Gozu shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know if you're a **very lucky idiot **or an **incredibly stealthy moron**." He 'complemented'.

"I prefer to be classified as both, they seem legit."

He shook his head with a faint smile. "By the way your clan kid 'friend' never showed up. And you sound different, not your voice, the way you talk..."_ Mangetsu's keeping his distance already. I am just a street kid, who knows maybe his parents prevented him from meeting me even before I left Kiri. But his father, nothing here makes much sense yet._

"That's understandable." I said. Gozu gave me a questioning look. "Can we go to an abandoned training ground first?"_ They'll forget about this if I redirect their attention on something else._

"Fine,"

* * *

**_~1 hour later_**

"This one is abandoned for sure." Meizu said.

"It doesn't look too crappy. Check for traps and hidden people." I ordered Kiiro. He barked and ran off to check.

_Note to self: Most abandoned looking training grounds in Kiri are either secret private clan grounds, ambush training fields, too battered due to low maintenance, or 'claimed' by arrogant clan idiots._

Kiiro came back running while barking happily. I caught him in my arms as he made small noises. _He has fur now. _I observed, petting his head. "Let's sit over by the tree."

"Wha-?" I didn't wait for him to finish. I walked over to the tree and sat down on one of its roots that were sticking out of the ground. The sky was gloomy as always, so there isn't much use for shade.

"All right, interrogate me." Once I said that questions were bombarded at me.

"Why do you seem different?" Gozu asked.

"I'm trying to copy how some of the 'big kids' talk." I answered grinning like an idiot.

"Why did you stalk the graduating class?" Meizu asked.

"Why not?" I shrugged.

"How come you grew taller all of a sudden?"

"I'm growing up, what else?"

"How did you pull it off?"

"How did I pull what off?" I got confused for a moment and before I finished processing the question Gozu cut through my thoughts.

"Where did you get those goggles?"

"I 'found' them." I said using 'air-quotes'.

"Where did you get the guts to eavesdrop on a graduating class?"

"Um... I've thought a lot about spying on them, so I did."

"What else did you do, when you were gone?" They asked at the same time.

"I practiced a bit." I said scratching my neck sheepishly.

"Why didn't you bring us with you?" Meizu asked, sounding disappointed and left out.

"I didn't want to depend on anyone." I answered pouting. "Sorry if I'm acting strangely, being alone does this to me."

"That's ok... I guess..." Gozu said.

Meizu suddenly jumped from his spot and pointed a finger at me. "You've trained, we've trained. We want to fight you. What do you say?"

"No **we **don't! **You **do." Gozu argued.

"Sure, this might be interesting." I said standing up uncaring.

"But-"

"It's fine, this will be fun. And by doing so we get to see each other's strengths and weaknesses, learning through your mistakes and learning through experience."

"Fine... But it's one against two." He warned.

"Right, I like a challenge. Kiiro don't move, okay?" I said kneeling in front of him, he complied with a bark. I smiled and scratched behind his ears. "Good boy."

I walked towards the field and began to formulate a plan, which was hard because one, I don't know how they fight. Two, I can't use C-rank ninjutsu. And three, I can't use my kekkei genkai.

They stood at the other end of the field, waiting.

Finally, they charged at me and I intercepted them. Meizu went for my head and Gozu aimed a fist at my stomach. I stopped their attacks with my hands, slightly getting pushed back in the process. The position prevented me from moving and defending myself, while they both had one hand free, so I let go of them and jumped back landing beside a tree. Meizu and Gozu jumped back as well landing in a good distance away from me.

I jumped up the tree and grabbed a few twigs and jumped down landing on all fours, using chakra to 'cushion' my fall. _Improvise..._ I charged at them, holding the twigs as if they were senbon, with my left arm in front of my face. I threw the twigs to distract them, adding chakra to create a small force to make the twigs go straight instead of falling on the ground.

I threw the other batch at Gozu again, and made him move further away from Meizu. _Separate... _Then I jabbed Meizu on the stomach, he coughed. Recovering he did a back-flip and kicked me on the chest, successfully throwing me back. I grunted as I landed on the ground. I tried my best to recover quickly and ran, using chakra to increase my speed, appearing in front of Gozu, then gave his face a round-house kick. He fell to the ground then Meizu attacked me from behind, I ducked barely avoiding his kick and used my legs to trip him.

He fell and smirked. "Gotcha,"

My eyes widened, I looked behind me to see Gozu holding the end of a rope I followed it quickly and saw Meizu holding the other end. _Where did that come from?! _They both got up and ran as fast as they could, circling me, using the rope to restrain me. I kept my hands close to each other. My pride wasn't happy about the situation, so I slowly did hand signs as the twins continued their 'assault'. _Tiger. Boar. Ox. Dog. _The two of them stopped and smirked proudly. _They forgot..._ I thought with a faint smirk.

"Give up?" Meizu asked, his breath slightly uneven. I grinned in return.

"No way," _Snake. _I closed my eyes and focused solely on Gozu's position. I felt a slight disturbance in my brain, my body moved shakily. I opened my eyes to see both boys wide-eyed and shocked. I took this opportunity to send chakra to my feet then circled the two of them until only a foot of the rope was left. They toppled over and fell to the ground with a thud. Both of them groaned in pain.

"How-?" Gozu managed to say before I cut him off.

"Rule number one. When tying someone up, always remember, the fingers." I answered panting. _Having a child's body is such a pain._

"Not that, how did you switch places with me?"

"Oh... It's one of the things I learned during that short 'vacation'." I lied. "It requires heaps of concentration and chakra control, of course." I gave them a smile. "You guys are awesome too I didn't notice the rope until the last second. This was fun, let's spar again next time." I suggested childishly.

Gozu despite being tied up managed to show a smile. "Well at least we shocked you. Better than no reaction at all. If this was a real fight we would be dead."

"Wrong. I don't have anything to kill you with. I prefer to keep my hands clean." I told them frowning. _You'll still be alive because I can't kill you._

**_*clap* ... *clap* ... *clap*... _**

My body tensed as I heard slow clapping from behind the tree, where we sat earlier. "That was well done for a group of orphans, specifically you with the blue hair." Kiiro jumped and whimpered but stood protectively in front of us. "Loyal dog..." A skinny man wearing a pin-striped shirt and a cloth-mask over his half of his face came into view.

"I would say that was okay for a bunch of untrained little brats." A tall, muscular man with short spiky hair and a scar on his right cheek emerged from behind the tree. He had a very noticeable tattoo of parallel lines in a grid like pattern, running across the lower half of his face.

"N-No way," Meizu stuttered wide-eyed. Gozu and I gulped.

It was not their features or their clothing that made the three of us speechless it was the weapons they carried with them.

Normally, when a child from my old world sees two strange guys carrying giant swords, the first thing that comes to mind would be 'fleeing' and the second is to 'approach'. _Ignorance... You never fail to put little children in trouble, don't you?_

The third would be a 'kid caught stealing from the cookie jar' re-enactment. Fortunately, our 'slot machine of fate' landed us on the third option.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four people is suffering from a mental illness. Look at your 3 best friends. If they're ok, then it's you._**

**_~Rita Mae Brown_**


	17. Protecting Seedlings

**Word count:** 4,087

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

"Hello." I said, keeping my voice steady._ No room for voice-cracks now._

Grid-face and Cloth-mask glanced at each other and jumped away like nothing happened.

_What the hell?! What was that all about? _Everything stayed silent until I heard a groan. "Harumi... Air..."

I turned to see the twins turning a little blue. "Oh... Sorry." I sent chakra to my feet and ran around to get them out._ This would be faster if I had a kunai._

Once freed, they stretched and Meizu cheered. "Finally, I thought I'll never get out."

"That was... Pretty, anti-climactic... I thought something bad was going to happen." Gozu said, uncomfortably.

I stared at the place where the two swordsmen stood before._ Kubikiribōchō, Shibuki. _Mangetsu said the Shibuki is also called the 'Blast sword'. It has a scroll full of explosive tags linked to it, behind the blade.

I narrowed my eyes._ The executioner's sword... So, Grid-face owned it before Zabuza? _I nodded to myself and went over to Kiiro and picked him up.

_Good thing I listened to Mangetsu's sword rants. _No matter how annoying it is, it comes around for these types of things.

* * *

"We met two members of the swordsmen and we're not entirely sure what they want." Gozu said, disbelieving his own words.

"Yeah... Do you think they'll come back?" I asked him.

"I hope not." I gave him a questioning look. "Not that I don't look up to them or anything. It's just because they might... You know..."

I nodded._ Those sword dudes are confusing, first they show up and 'complement' us then they jump away like nothing happened. _I sighed._ Now... What do I do with-_

"Did you really meet them?" An overly excited Mangetsu asked.

"Yes. Yes we did." I answered._ He isn't going to hyperventilate, is he?_

When we arrived back at our 'hideout' we didn't expect anyone to greet us. Mangetsu randomly decided to visit and now he's acting like a fresh out of a concert teenage fan-girl.

"Does he know that humans need oxygen to live?" Gozu asked, with a hint of concern._ Great, because of my influence Gozu is becoming a nice guy... I need to get rid of this so called feeling of sympathy._

"Harumi, I wanted to ask you about something." Meizu took out a piece of cardboard. "Look." I did as I was told and knitted my brows in confusion.

"That's the cardboard I gave you before my small 'vacation'."

"Huh? Wait no, not that. I meant..." He flipped the board. "This one." He pointed at the small drawing on the corner. "What is this?" He asked. I looked at it and saw the- _Shoot! Why did I-?_

"It's... Uh... The... Kanji for f-fire..." I said feigning confusion. "Right?"

He snickered. "You're good at battling but you're not good at writing. The kanji for fire doesn't have a line on the bottom." He smirked. "And these two lines should be curved a bit."

"So what if I failed at that? At least I can survive in a fight." I argued childishly. Kiiro barked his agreement.

Gozu got between us. "None of us went to the academy, so we're all pretty much on the same level." He said, flatly._ Gozu is becoming mature... About time!_

Meizu covered his eyes with his arms dramatically. "Why can't one of you be on my side?" _His twin, however, hasn't changed._

"Not everyone needs to choose a side, working alone is always an option." I said, shrugging. "Sure 'teamwork' might be important but being able to solve problems alone feels better than solving it with someone. Not to be greedy or anything but sharing the 'limelight' isn't necessary."

"The lamlit? What's that?" Mangetsu asked.

"Don't worry about it, Suigetsu." I said._ Right, right. The word 'limelight' doesn't exist here._

"So this time I'm 'Suigetsu'?" He questioned. "You better start explaining these weird names." He demanded.

"Weird names?" I tilted my head. _Names, plural? What else have I been calling him?_

"Yes, names. First you called me Ashi then you called me Kato and just now you called me Suigetsu. Who are these people?" He demanded._ I know who 'Ashi' and Suigetsu is, but who the hell is Kato?_

""W-well, you see..." I sighed. _Ok, no problem, I planned for this... Sort of. _"Ashi's... The guy who named me."

"Someone named you?"

I winced. "Of course someone named me. Did you really think I named myself?"_ Yes._

"I guess not." Gozu said, thoughtfully.

I shook my head and looked up. Gozu noticed and turned to the sky as well. "You should probably go." He told Mangetsu.

"All right..." He started to walk but stopped to look back. "Harumi?" He called.

"What?"

"Who's Suigetsu?"_ Hozuki Suigetsu._

"Uh... Sorry I got confused and said 'water' instead of 'moon'." I scratched my head sheepishly.

"... Okay... See you in a few months." He jumped away._ Months?_

"He's going to graduate." I gave Gozu a questioning look. He caught it and returned the look. "I thought you said you watched the graduating class?"

"Okay, I might have watched a different class."

Gozu rolled his eyes. "You said he joined the academy when he was four and he's the same age as us. So, from that information and some others that I've heard from academy kids. I concluded he's an early graduate, usually that happens to 'prodigies'. He's lucky he graduated a year early rarely happens."

"Nooooo!" We flinched. "You're starting to sound like **him**!" Meizu exclaimed pointing at me.

I sighed, relieved._ Lying, you never fail to save me... This life is like Default Dan. _Everything is the other way around.

_I kind of feel bad about lying... What am I saying? I have lied my whole life, a little too late for self-condemnation now, don't you think?_

"By the way Harumi I'm not done 'interrogating' you, yet." Gozu said, narrowing his eyes. Kid's intimidating I'll give him that.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Takeshi's P.O.V._**

I regret saying yes to Rin. I forgot that the only person I have who can help is Gai. Not that I don't like him he's just too energetic.

* * *

_As soon as I spotted Gai near the weapons shop I walked over to him. "Hey Gai, how's life?"_

_"Hello, Takeshi. Everything is great! But I never managed to convince my teammates to practice with me. I wonder why." He said thoughtfully._

_"Keep trying?" _It's because they don't like your training method._ "Anyway can you help me with something?"_

_"Sure!"_

_"Rin and her team are going on a mission and she asked me to fill in for her at the orphanage so-" I never got to finish my sentence because the kid practically glomped me._

_"I have found my true rival! People might not know it but Kakashi did a good job at taking care of his little brother!" Gai screamed to the heavens._

_I blushed and stuttered. "G-Guy, put me down. It's not a big deal." _Someone... Help?

_He dropped me and placed his arm around my shoulder. "Helpful and modest just the type of friend I was looking for." He said with his 'nice guy' pose._

_People around murmured among themselves. My blush got worse. _Friendship is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Right now, it's killing me with embarrassment.

_"Let us head to the orphanage." He said dragging me to who knows where. _Does he even know where to go?

* * *

I wish that would** never **happen again. Unfortunately, the embarrassment didn't stop there.

* * *

_After hearing a crash I walked towards the dining area and saw a broken plate and a confused Gai. I slapped my forehead and took a deep breath._

_"Keshi-chan, maybe Gai-san isn't the best choice." A little girl observed._

_I went down to her level and forced a smile. "Well I would have chosen someone else if I actually had people to choose from."_

_The door opened and Nono walked in. My eyes widened and I started to profusely apologize. "Yakushi-san, I'm so sorry. We'll pay you back, I promise." I turned to glare at the culprit. "Right, Gai?"_

_"Y-yes, **we**." He added._

_I felt a hand on my head. "It's okay you don't need to do that."_

_"But Yakushi-san, the orphanage needs the money to keep it from shutting down. New plates should be the least of your worries." She smiled gently. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have some plates to buy."_

_I dragged Gai outside and didn't stop running until we reached the market._

_"Gai that was the third plate." I frowned._

_He exhaled deeply. "I don't think housework is one of my best skills." He admitted._ I'm scared of what his place might look like.

* * *

I supported my head on my palm then let out a long and frustrated sigh. "Takeshi-san, what's wrong?" A small voice asked.

"Itachi, didn't I tell you to call me 'Takeshi' you don't need to add the 'san'." I scolded, playfully.

"Sorry."

"It's ok, don't worry about it."_ I almost forgot I'm at the park with a kid._

At the moment, Itachi is answering a bunch of math questions from a piece of paper that Fugaku gave him.

_Yes, Fugaku wanted Itachi to answer math questions. Yes, Itachi knew how to answer the questions. Might I add, he also knew how to use a pencil. Fugaku also ordered me to 'Watch over the boy until I retrieve him.'_

"Takeshi-san, how old are you?" Itachi asked. _Really? You know 5 + 5 = 10 but you can't stop calling me 'Takeshi-san'?_

"Elev-Ten." I stammered. _It's hard to keep track of my age. I was born the same year as Team Minato but Obito is 11 and I'm 10._

Itachi stared at the piece of paper and slowly wrote 10 and 2. "... You're 8 years older than me." He said holding up 9. _Okay, maybe I'm over-estimating the kid._

I folded his forefinger. "This is 8," I placed it back. "And this is 9."

"Oh... Sorry." He looked down sadly._ Itachi is the only toddler that I find normal. _That sentence has the word 'false' screaming all over it._ I'm everything but normal._

"No, no. It's ok, you're actually right." He tilted his head in question. "I'm turning 11 this year."

"But didn't you just turn 10 a couple of months ago?"

I scratched my head. "Let's see, uh... About 6 months ago it was last year. Do you remember the time we learned about months?"

He nodded. "Yes, twelve months. January, February, March, April, May... June, July, August... September, October, November, and December."

_He's a prodigy all right. _"Yup, so about 6 months ago it was December. My birthday is December 31st."

He took a moment to think. "So does that mean when January comes a New Year starts?"

"Yes."

"Ok. Thank you, Takeshi-san." _And there he goes again._

I sighed. "Don't worry about it."

"I'll talk to Shisui about this too." He turned back to his paper and scribbled.

Uchiha Shisui, son of Uchiha Kagami. Uchiha Kagami, 'friend'/teammate of Shimura Danzo. Shimura Danzo, manipulative guy who brainwash children... _Wait, isn't Orochimaru supposed to be the manipulative guy who brainwash children. _I shook my head. _Never mind... They're the same. _

Technology, Orochimaru, 'genius', experiments... _I wonder what would have happened if technology existed in this world._

I sighed deeply, boredom and disapproval combined. _Questions, questions. Children always have them. At least Itachi's unique observation skill fortunately picks up good ones. Unlike, _why does the flower dance_? Or _why are you taller than me_? It's fairly normal and only slightly ridiculous at times._

I am unsatisfied by the lack of quality in children's questions... _Maybe it's because I'm a reincarnated indecisive fool with high standards and expectations...?_ Nevertheless, I'm not impressed.

"... You want to have some food?" I asked, flatly.

"It's 2 o'clock in the afternoon."

"I know." I said looking at the sky.

_'Humans', Guns, Bombs, Radioactive Materials, Snakes, Superhuman Abilities, Chakra, Immortality, Background/History Problems, Reincarnated Indecisive Fool, and Deranged Fictional Characters._ Add them all up and what do you get?** Venus number 2**. _Yeah, that's sounds right._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Nine-tails attack: 3 years_**

'Hideo' intrigued me. He acts the same as always, no matter how messed up or extreme a situation is, he never changed. Even after I 'cut' my connections with Danzo, he didn't change.

_Not fair. _I whined, inwardly._ Danzo's got a loyal minion while all I have closest to a sidekick is Gai._

I don't hate the kid, really, his personality's just overwhelming that I can't stand being around him for two hours without needing to 'get fresh air' a couple of times before excusing myself. He's a good friend but... _Never mind, off topic. _

"Just a few more miles to go." 'Hideo' reassured.

My expression pained. "Do we really need to?" I asked, whispering.

"We don't have much of a cho-"

"We can stop here for the night." A voice interrupted. "When the sun rises we head out."

"Yes, sir." The three of us answered.

Hiruzen is in a state of 'panic' because the casualties were increasing and he wanted to make sure that civilians would get protection 24/7, even if it meant sending a team outside the village to get support/back-up. Our team was chosen to head towards Hacho Village to convince the leader to aid Konoha civilians.

The Hacho village is located at the outskirts of the Land of Fire. If they agree to let some villagers stay then Hiruzen and the Konoha-nins wouldn't need to worry about the civilians anymore. Danzo even added to ask them for some military strength, with Hiruzen's uncertain approval of course.

I didn't want a small village to get involved in this war but, apparently, we have no choice but to listen to the Hokage. _Sometimes I question Hiruzen's decisions._

Whenever Danzo is around he always seems unsure, which is smart but it takes away the crowds reassurance. Not a good strategy for a leader but understandable... _Well, it's understandable in _**my **_eyes._

"Hideo-sensei, do we really need to?" I asked again, whispering.

He frowned. "I know what you're thinking, but it's the Hokage's orders and we need to follow it." He explained ruffling my hair.

I sulked. Not because I can't do anything about the matter but because 'Hideo' confuses me to no end._ How is he keeping up his act? And, why do I still, _**kind of**_, trust him?_ ... All right, I still **completely **trust him. _Why?_

While 'Hideo' and Shinji-taicho sets up camp, Arashi and I took care of setting the traps. We placed twenty trigger bombs, forty senbon rain traps and about ten poisonous kunai traps.

"These traps are sensitive, right?" I asked.

"Yeah." Arashi answered. He crossed his arms and placed his head on his palm. "I don't think this is enough to kill anyone." He said with bored sarcasm.

My mouth twitched. "I know. I just hope no animals wander in. Our traps won't only be wasted, innocent wildlife might die too." _I honestly care more for animals than I do to humans. _Animals are innocent even if they sometimes appear like they want to bite your head off.

He nodded thoughtfully and did hand signs. "Genjutsu." He whispered. His chakra spread out and my head throbbed a bit._ I hate genjutsu._

"There. Now any person or animal who comes within a 100 meter radius won't notice the camp." He smiled.

I pouted and looked at him unhappily. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I want to do genjutsu too." I whined. _It's annoying to see people do something so easily while I, however, don't have a chance at it._

"Then why don't you?"

"Because, I can't concentrate properly and my head hurts when someone nearby casts one." I explained rubbing my head.

"I see... Are you ok? Did I-"

"It's all right, Arashi-senpai." I stopped him.

"You know, calling me 'senpai' isn't necessary." He frowned.

I returned it with a lazy shrug and grabbed his arm. He shook his head in disdain and dragged me back to camp. _It's convenient to have someone guiding you when you're practically sleepwalking._

* * *

Turns out I had to be carried all day until we reached Hacho. Hiruzen already sent a hawk in advance to tell the village leader of our team's arrival, but when we reached the village people eyed us sceptically. Most of them had worried looks on their faces; I must have given them the wrong impression for limping.

The village is surrounded by mountain ranges, like Kiri actually but less 'misty'. The village is shaped like a circle the land is crescent-shaped covered with blue-roofed buildings and a two small ports were built by the big lake.

_Why am I limping?_ Let's just say we had a few 'technical difficulties'.

* * *

_"I regret setting traps for some reason." Arashi screamed at my direction._

_"I wonder why?" I mocked, lazily. "Maybe it's because we have to dodge all the deadly and poisonous weapons then store all of them back in the scrolls. But, since we have the ability to accidentally kill people when doing anything that involves seals Shinji-san has to store them." I said while holding two kunai to deflect the incoming barrage of needles._

_"Arashi-senpai, stay away from the right side." I warned._

_"I know!" He yelped, jumping away from the 'landmine' and barely landing on a tree branch._

I'm glad he casted that genjutsu._ If it weren't for that our campsite would have been the center of attention._

_I groaned._ Remind me why we put up so many traps.

_Deflecting some needles and dodging the rest I started to think of a plan. I jumped and flipped between the trees. If it weren't for the fact that a bunch of deadly weapons are being bombarded at me this would look really good in an action movie._

_Hideo extinguished most of the flames and Shinji calmly collected the weapons while Arashi and I dodged for our lives._

It's like dodge ball but with life threatening, weapons and land mines.

_"Hideo-sensei." I turned to him, a hopeful gleam present in my eyes._ I have an idea but I need some help.

_"Sorry I can't help you, Shinji-san here thinks you two should learn how to take care of this. We won't be doing missions together all the time and someday you might be assigned to go on a mission, alone. So it's best if you learn through experience... Under supervision of course. I'll step in when things get out of hand." Hideo said cheerfully._ A lesson in the middle of the forest. Seriously?

_I sighed. "Arashi-senpai, I might have a plan." I said, yawning afterwards. I did not appreciate waking up in the morning._

_"Whatever it is, just do it! Anything's fine with me!" He demanded, rapidly moving from tree to tree._

_I made my way over to him as fast as I can, avoiding land, and stopped behind him. "Be the meat shield for a while, please. I need a few seconds."_

_"Fine." He unhappily agreed. Frowning, I thought,_ He'll thank me later.

_I focused and did hand signs._ Horse. Snake. Rabbit. Bird.

_After getting enough of chakra to merge with the leaves I controlled them and covered all the traps, which I remembered, and kept the small, dome-like structures in place._

_"Ninja Art: Jail Sphere." I whispered, shakily. Saying the move's name is unnecessary but it helps me remember._

_Panting, I turned to Arashi. "I'll hold some in for a while take care of the others."_

_He nodded and murmured a quick 'Thanks' before moving to the other side._ The traps were still wasted but at least no one got hurt.

_I felt a sting on my thigh. Looking down I saw five senbon sticking out of my clothing. I winced in pain._ Just be glad they're not the poisonous kunai.

_Explosions continued to go off but the damage stayed inside the domes. Before it stopped I released the jutsu, my chakra was almost drained. I felt tired and my lower left side was numb._

_Someone landed beside me. "Finally." He said. "It stopped."_

_I pulled out the needles one by one. "Damn." I dropped the senbon and poked my thigh._ Wake up, we still have a couple of kilometres to go.

_"Need some help?" Arashi asked._

_"Yes." I answered, truthfully._

* * *

_Now that is some serious case of backfire._

It actually sounds ridiculous now that I think about it. Arashi and I had the honour of waiting outside the office doors of the village leader while 'Hideo', Shinji-taicho and the leader talked.

"Arashi-senpai, don't you think it's a bad idea to involve a small village?" I asked him.

"Are you really going to ask about this again? Didn't Hideo-san talk to you about it already?"

"He did but-"

"Look." He stopped me. "The Hokage gave us this mission and as Konoha-nins we have to follow his orders. So unless you're planning on going rogue you have to follows his orders. I know sometimes Hokage-sama's decisions seem... _Surreal _but he's the Hokage for a reason. Learn how to trust, everything will seem easier if you do... And stop asking questions."

_Trust his decisions sure, no problem, I can do that._ "Sorry. I'm just _concerned _they might get attacked."

"That's why they're discussing the matter. I'm sure Hokage-sama wouldn't let that happen." He said. "Stop being a pessimist and try to be more optimistic."_ So I'm actually a reincarnated indecisive pessimist?_

"Op-ti-mis-tic... Positive thoughts."_ There's hardly anything positive happening, really._

"Yeah, it's not that hard. Maybe, instead of thinking about getting attacked you can just be happy for the civilians. They'll be safe here."

"But Shinji-taicho and Hideo-sensei haven't convinced the village leader yet." I pointed out.

"Stop that." He snapped. "What did I just tell you a few seconds ago?"

I frowned. "It's not as easy as you think." _Especially if you know what's going to happen... And if you're being watched by everyone who has the ability to kill you._

He knitted his brows and gave me a look that said._ What do you mean?_

Before he could verbally ask the two jonin walked out of the doors, one smiling the other confused.

"It's creepy to see Shinji-san smile." Arashi whispered.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, feeling as confused as 'Hideo'.

"Gin-san agreed to let some villagers stay but he said they didn't want to join the war."

_That doesn't make sense. If they didn't want to join the war then they shouldn't have accepted the citizens. Oh, wait... _"Right, war has a different definition here."

"War has a different definition here?" I jumped.

Akashi kept looking at me and waited for an explanation.

"Hokage-sama would be happy to hear this. We need to get back as soon as possible." Shinji-taicho said.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

**_Zetsu's P.O.V._**

"Zetsu, it's time." Madara's voice, rasped out.

"Yes, _Uchiha-sama_." I complied, grinning.

He knitted his brows and glared down at me from his 'throne'. "Go."_ He acts like he knows everything._

"Yes, yes. I will." I said, disappearing underground.

_Takeshi will have mixed feelings with the plan._ I thought, grinning like a maniac.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do._**

**_~Isaac Isimov_**


	18. Coincidental Lands

**Word count: **4,327

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Takeshi's P.O.V._**

We almost made it back to Konoha but instead of safely returning 'home' we were attacked and was forced to redirect the attacking Iwa-nin. We are outnumbered but we worked well with combo techniques.

My clones took care of the others who tried to get close to Konoha using _Ninja Art: Leaf Detonation_. I usually didn't last very long in a fight due to my below-average stamina but the adrenaline is taking my mind off the fact that I'm about to collapse.

_Horse. Tiger. _"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique." Arashi blew a ball of fire that left a mark on the ground. _Horse. Sheep. _"Wind Release: Wind Blast." I added wind to enhance the assault.

"Dust Cloud Ignition Technique!" We attacked with wind enhanced fire. We got a few ninja's burned and some trees.

A bomb erupted beside us. "Hideo-sensei, we need to put out the fire or else none of us will survive this."

"Go left." He commanded.

_Dragon. Tiger. Hare. _"Wild Water Wave," I blasted water at the area in flames to prevent the small forest fire to spread.

_Horse. Snake. Rabbit. _"Ninja Art: Jail Dome." Leaves swirled around four Iwa-nins and trapped them. Taking out a bomb kunai I threw it at their direction and took them down, injuring some who were in range of the explosion.

_Bird. Rat. _Despite feeling tired I conjured hand signs and continued my assault._ I am not dying here. How many did I manage to get?_

"Tree Leaves Swarm," The trees were deprived of their leaves and the large pile turned into sharp kunai-like weapons. I controlled the leaves to slice any enemy nearby. I watched as a few of them fell to the ground with a thud. _I am not dying here. Not yet! _I clenched my fist._ But I never killed this many before._

A kunai whistled past my head and embedded itself on the ground behind me. Before I could get away it exploded throwing me off my feet. The leaves fell to the ground and wilted. My ears rung from the explosion and didn't notice the Iwa-nin holding a katana.

He said something I couldn't hear then I felt pain on my right shoulder when he slashed. I probably yelped or screamed I wasn't sure. But I felt the pain, it was horrible.

Rolling aside I was again thrown off when the 'ground' I stood on suddenly threw me off. I concentrated chakra to my feet to prevent further damage. I hissed, eyes widening when someone appeared beside me. I braced myself for an attack but found a shadow looming over me. "Earth Release: Earth Style Wall."

I grabbed my arm, trying to get rid of the pain. "Thank you, Shinji-taicho."

He nodded, keeping his eyes on the enemy and threw a bottle of Blood Increasing Pills at me. He was gone before I could thank him, shaking it off I took one out and ate it. _It tastes like iron. _Hideo threw kunai bombs and scalded some, before finishing them with water release techniques.

"Arashi, take Takeshi and go, I'll hold them off. Report to Hokage-sama as fast as you can, we need to protect the village," He ordered with a stern expression.

Before I could protest Arashi grabbed me by the waist and ran away. "Arashi-senpai, we can't just leave Hideo-sensei." He was silent. "This isn't the way to Konoha." I argued. He didn't respond for a moment. Suddenly, he halted, dropping me harshly.

"Leaf-nins," _She _smirked. Instead of Arashi a woman several feet taller than me stood in his place. _If she's an enemy..._

I automatically returned her smirk. "I didn't know Iwagakure had acting classes for men."_ Speech control skills, don't fail me now._

She chuckled. "That won't work little girl." She shot back with her annoying high-pitched voice.

I gave her a disapproving look. "Apparently, 'adults' are only physically taller and are allowed to know more 'information'. Inside you're still children." Finishing my sentence I threw a kunai bomb at her direction.

She saw it in time and jumped away. "Charming, aren't you? Come with us and we will leave the others alone. What do you say?"

_It's weird how the 'bad guys' in the Naruto-verse are so talkative._ I glared and threw senbon her way. _No wonder they usually lose._

"I guess that's a no, _Kinju_." She smirked.

I forced myself to remain impassive. _Monkey._

"Ninja Art: Leaf Animal Puppets." _Snake. Sheep. Bird. _"Forest Chameleon Technique,"

I distracted her with a group of leaf monkeys to head over to my team.

I saw Arashi, who almost got turned into a human splat, from the corner of my eyes. With an abandoned tanto from an Iwa-nin, I slashed. No matter how disgusting it looked it had to be done. The area looked as horrible as my genjutsu. The ground crumbled. "Earth Release: Tearing Earth Turning Palm." Several Iwa-nins slammed their hands to the ground. _How many more are there?_

"They're trying to bury us alive." Arashi said, panicking.

"I can see that. Jump!" I told him. "How many more are left?" I asked, reaching for the branch.

"Less than ten... Thankfully," Hideo answered, wincing.

_If we use a combo attack we could win this. _Water. Wind. Lightning._ Where's Shinji?_

* * *

I slowly limped over to Hideo and checked his pulse. I sighed in relief when I felt a slow pulse. _It's still there. Before the fight ended Hideo got stabbed and is in terrible condition._

I examined his wound._ It looks... Bad. _I carefully took off his flak jacket and sweater to look closely at the wound. Grabbing the medical kit Nono gave me and a water bottle I proceeded to clean his wound. I poured water over the area. He responded with a wince but didn't wake up. _Good, he's still alive._

When everything looked clean enough I brought out the anesthetic and carefully poured some over the wound. This time he groaned in pain his eyes opening a bit before closing again. _This will numb it for a while._ I'm probably not helping much but if it stops the bleeding, then I suppose that's a start._ I owe Rin and Nono for this._

When I finished wrapping his torso with bandages I looked at him. _That should do it for a while. _I observed while taking out a Blood Increasing Pill and throwing one in my mouth._ Still tastes like iron. _Taking out another one I tried my best to make Hideo ingest one. After managing it I glanced at the eerily quiet battlefield.

_There were too strong and too many, 15 chunin maybe? They had tons of bombs and the ground wasn't safe at all._

Looking around I saw parts of the area looking like it's been trampled by a machine. My scrunched up as the smell of blood hit me. _I need to report this to Hiruzen. _I took out a piece of paper and a pencil.

[_Hacho Village agreed but doesn't want to get involved in the war. Iwagakure might attack. Be on guard. Hacho Village might also need some protection._]

[_~Team Shinji_]

Rolling up the paper I did hand signs and created a white-throated needle tail. I untied my forehead protector off my neck and tied the letter tightly at one end and the other on the bird's leg. After making sure that the letter is secure I let the bird go and it disappeared in a second.

_The fight must have attracted attention. _"Takeshi?" I heard someone call.

Turning around, I saw 'Arashi'. I took out two kunai and ran as fast as I can. I tackled him two the ground with one kunai hovering above his chest and the other ready to slit his throat.

"WH-what are you doing?!" He stuttered.

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not an enemy." He argued weakly.

"How do I know you're not an Iwa-nin using henge?"

"I'm-"

"What if you're just pretending so I would take you to Konoha with me? Did you really think I was that-?"

"What did I tell you about this? Really! You sound like a lunatic with your conspiracies and unbelievable predictions. Why can't you just think like a normal kid?!" He screamed. _So he is the real one. _His eyes widened. "Damn. I didn't mean it like that. I-"

"Sorry..." I said with a frown and got off him._ A normal kid, huh? I can't do that... I'll mess things up even more. _I walked to Hideo and checked on him. _Still alive._

"Hello, hello, Takeshi." I heard a different voice whisper. My eyes widened as I saw a lighter shade of green on the ground._ What. The. Hell?! Why is he here? What if-?_

I whirled around to see Arashi with his head down being held by someone, or something by the arm. "Uh... Zetsu-nii... How did you...?" I shook my head clearing some thoughts away. Looking skeptically at the spiral-faced one I asked. "Who are you?"

"Guruguru," Zetsu answered with a smirk.

I scratched my head. "Nice to meet you? Dang, that was fast... Won't he question me when he wakes up?"

"Loosen up Takeshi-chan; you can lie to a whole village. He won't be much of a problem." He said, waving the matter off. "Did you decide to change your look? I almost didn't recognize you." He said.

"It's a bloody shirt over a mesh shirt and don't say it like that. You sound like a weirdo."

"Fine, what I really meant to say was you're really _'embracing'_ Konoha, aren't you?" He said crossing his arms, still amused.

I looked down at myself. I finally decided to cut my hair. I wore a chunin flak-jacket over my shirt, sweat pants, open-toed shoes, and goggles that hung around my neck. "Bloody and covered in sweat...? And again don't say it like that."

Zetsu grinned in amusement, which looked creepy seeing that he only had half his face and spikes were coming out of his right side. "Madara-sama wanted me to tell you something."

"What is it?" It took me a moment to realize._ They didn't. _"Don't tell me you di-!"

"Whoa! No, no. Not this. We didn't do anything. We're good boys!" Guruguru interrupted shaking his head at maximum speed.

"Good boys?" I questioned.

"Yes, yes. We're good boys, right Zetsu-nii?" He childishly called the other.

"Sure."

I turned to Zetsu. "Why are you here?"

His smirk widened. "Well it's something about that fellow over there." He said pointing at Hideo.

"I know already, he's a member of Root. That's why Danzo isn't pestering me; he has 'his eyes' on me."

"No." He said before his smile faltered a bit. "Why are there shinobi heading our way?"

"I sent a message to Konoha." _If I didn't they would get suspicious._ "Forget that, what do you mean by 'no'?" I demanded.

"Tsk. Guruguru, drop Akumu we need to get out of here." He said with a serious tone._ Zetsu, serious? Hmm, I've never heard that one before._

"Yes, sir," Guruguru complied with a salute and dropped Arashi.

"It's Arashi." I corrected.

"That's great! Expect to be kidnapped in a few days~" He said in a sing-song voice and disappeared underground.

"Eh?"_ I never expected to be warned about my kidnapping._

"Nice meeting you, Takeshi-chan!" Guruguru said cheerfully following after Zetsu.

"O-k?" I blew out air then walked over to Arashi. I grabbed him and tried to wake him up. "Arashi-senpai, wake up." He groaned but didn't awake. I decided to pull him over to where Hideo was.

* * *

Moments later Konoha-nins flooded the area some headed straight to Hacho while others searched for survivors.

"Hello, Takeshi."

"Minato-san, shouldn't you be with your team?" I asked even though I already knew why he's here.

"Yes, I should be with them but they insisted that I go with the back-up team. You have good friends, Takeshi. Do your best to keep them." He said with a wink.

_The three of them, huh...? I wonder how Kakashi reacted to this._ "Did Kakashi explode or freeze?" I asked.

He chuckled. "I would say a bit of both, though he hid it very well."

I nodded. _Of course he did._

A ninja landed beside us. "Minato-san, we found five who are still alive. What do we do with them?"

"We'll take them to Konoha for T&I. Clean the area and make sure no harm will reach Hacho Village." Minato answered.

He nodded and went away to lead a team to Hacho.

I turned to Minato and asked. "Do I need to give you information?"

"No. It's too dangerous to stay here any longer than we need to. The Hokage would also like to hear this personally."

"Okay." I immediately sagged. "In that case..." I yawned. "Can I...?" My eyes closed and I was out.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Zetsu's P.O.V._**

"Did you tell him?"

"No, not yet, Madara-sama. Shinobi were approaching and we needed to flee." I answered.

He sighed and tried to get comfortable on his 'throne'. "But you told him I requested his presence?"

"Of course we did!" Guruguru answered. "Takeshi-chan seems like a good boy. Madara-sama doesn't need to worry about him." He added.

"Good, I need to talk to him as soon as possible." He said closing his eyes.

"_Zetsu-nii_, do we get Takeshi now or tomorrow."

"We need to wait for a week so he can get himself 'fixed' before Madara-sama tells him." I said, smirking.

"Yey! Our plan is in motion." Guruguru said cheerfully.

I grinned. _How much is the Hokage going to reveal after this?_

_That girl was a nice addition to the Iwa-nin that attacked Takeshi and his team. Good thing she did what she's supposed to do. Too bad she had to be killed._

_Although, killing the taller blonde wasn't necessary, what was his name?_

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Takeshi's P.O.V._**

_"Takeshi?" I heard a voice I slightly don't like say._

_I turned my head to see Hiruzen. "Hokage-sama..." I greeted._

_"Is it all right if we have a little chat?" He asked._

_I nodded. "Is it about the mission?"_

_He glanced by the window then turned to me. "I'm sorry." He simply said, bowing._

_My eyes widened._ Is he finally going to tell me something? Wait... Holy-! The Hokage is bowing!

_"Hokage-sama, you don't need to do that!" I bolted up waving my arms around._

_"It's necessary child... I haven't been completely honest with you."_

_"You mean about Sakumo-san? I already know what really happened. He came back from a failed mission and everybody started hating him. He started the war, right?" His eyes widened._

_"Konoha-nins are a talkative bunch, aren't they? I heard it from some guys while they were 'walking by themselves'. Don't worry I'm not... Mad, to say the least. I just want to know why they hated him so much." I explained. "And they're saying how could he leave his son, Kakashi? They're the reason he 'left'." I got carried away and presented my frustration._

_"You mean to say... All this time you knew?" He asked incredulously._

_I nodded. "Why is that a bad thing?"_

_He stared. "Hokage-sama?"_ Did I break him or something?

_Smoke suddenly covered him. I coughed and swatted away some smoke with my left hand._ This is not the Hokage._ "Perhaps, I was wrong about you."_

_"Danzo?" He narrowed his eyes and disappeared._ A clone?!

* * *

I bolted up eyes wide. Heavy breathing filled the room. I supported myself and made a small squeak-like sound before my breathing became labored and pained. _Ow, my arm... Dream Takeshi is pretty stupid._ I coughed feeling dehydrated. _Water._

I looked at the desk and saw a vase with flowers. Next to it is a glass of water. I reached with my right arm-_Bad idea! _A sharp intake of breath is heard around the room._ So that's why I didn't feel pain, it was just a dream. _Reaching with my other arm, I grabbed the glass and drank the whole thing in one shot.

After downing it I let out a long breath and placed the glass back on the desk. I moved my feet trying to stretch them._ They seem fine only my right arm is 'damaged'. _I threw the covers off and placed my feet on the ground. I slowly walked to the window and opened it to let air in. The sun was hidden by clouds the breeze cooled the room.

Everything was quiet until the door opened and someone shouted. "Gah! Where is he?!"

"Ebisu-san, what are you doing here?" I asked.

He looked at me then the bed.

He adjusted his glasses. "Sorry for the sudden outburst. I thought something happened."

"Don't worry its fine."

"Takeshi!" Gai screamed lunging at me with a waterfall of tears.

If it weren't for the two other people behind him I would be tackled. "Gai, calm down and don't get close to him. He just woke up." A brown-haired chunin said.

"Hello. Are you Genma-san?"

"Yes. You should go back to bed before the nurse gets here." I nodded and went back to the hospital bed._ This happened a lot in my old life._

Just as I pulled the covers over, the nurse arrived. She tapped her pen before scribbling on her chart. "Good that you're awake, Kinju-san. You are not to leave for another week; we need to make sure your chakra levels are stable before you go to missions again. Please, try not to move your right arm you have first degree burns and a deep cut."

I winced._ That's unpleasant._ "Thank you, I'll try. How long was I out, ma'am?"

"A week and four days," She bluntly answered before placing the chart on the wall and closed the door. _I guess she's busy?_

"We should tell Kakashi-" Gai said.

"No!"_ I don't need a lecture, you idiot!_

Genma raised a brow at this. "Why not, isn't he your 'brother'?" He said using air quotes.

"Sure he's my 'brother', but that doesn't mean I can listen to him rant about the things I do wrong all day."

"That's understandable." Genma agreed with a nod.

We 'talked' for a couple of minutes. The word awkward is how I describe the 'conversation'.

An eleven year old on bed rest, a hyperactive and dramatic twelve year old, a fourteen year old version of Kakashi, who is slightly less dedicated on following the rules, And a brown haired fifteen year old who puts senbon in his mouth instead of straw._ Weird group._

"Gai, what are you doing?"

He ignored me and instead frantically looked through his bag._ Where did that come from?_

"Aha!" He exclaimed, holding up a black book. He held it in front of me. "Here you go, Takeshi. This is from... Jiraiya-san? I think was his name."

A bead of sweat went down Ebisu's head. "Are you saying that you got that from someone who you thought was 'Jiraiya-san', the Toad Sage, but you're not sure if he was a henged enemy yet you accepted the book?"

"Yes." Gai answered happily. Before I had the chance to hold it Ebisu grabbed the book from Gai.

"Ebisu-san is there something wrong?" I asked._ What is wrong with him?_

"Ebisu, relax maybe it's just a book he published called... 'The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Ninja'? I've heard about it from some civilians." Genma said, adjusting the senbon in his mouth._ I don't think putting weapons in your mouth is safe but it's a canon thing, so I'm leaving it alone._

"We can never be sure. We don't know if this is a trigger trap and we cannot take any chances. He is already incapacitated if he gets any more damage we will surely hear from his 'brother'." He said opening the book and flipping through pages.

I looked at him flatly. "Your concern is flattering but I wouldn't say _incapacitated_. I can handle myself." I said, annoyed.

Genma snickered at my reply while Ebisu continued to ignore me and flipped through the pages. He froze and turned red. "I-I... T-This is inappropriate! Kinju, I-I d-don't... Y-You shouldn't read this." He stuttered closing the book shut.

I tilted my head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He walked over to Gai and whacked him on the head with the book. "Where did you get this?" He asked furiously.

"I already told you, I got it from Jiraiya-san." Ebisu grabbed him by the collar and shook him violently.

"I don't believe you! One of the Sannin would never tolerate and, or own such inappropriate books, let alone give it to children! This is unacceptable!"

_I think I know what 'book' that is. Jiraiya must have given Gai a draft or something._

Genma rolled his eyes at his teammates and picked up the book and flipped through the pages. Stopping at a page his eyes widened and the senbon fell from his mouth. "What the hell?!" He whispered, incredulously.

I snorted. "What is it can I see?" I asked innocently.

He turned to me with the same expression and asked. "How old are you?"

"Eleven." He threw the book in a garbage can and looked at me straight in the eyes.

"You see that book in the garbage can?" I nodded. "I know I'm a stranger but listen to me when I say... Don't show any interest in that. You're too young to read those."

"Genma is right." Ebisu agreed glaring at Gai.

"Just wait eight more years before you do, understood?" He said patting my head.

"Ok!" I nodded._ Genma seems like a cool guy to hang out with._

"W-What?! Genma that's not what you're supposed to say." Ebisu let go of Gai and went over to me. "Don't listen to him. **Never **show interest in those things."

I made a face and said. "Someday you're going to be a pervert."

"WHAT?!" He exclaimed and comically fell to the ground.

I laughed at him. _Gai's team is not as boring as I thought and they seem helpful for future plans. Ebisu will get close to Konohamaru, connecting him to the Hokage. _I looked at Genma. He had a new senbon in his mouth._ I don't know much about him... He's a side-character, but maybe..._ Finally I turned to Gai._ I was right about making him my 'friend'._

"This is the most interesting hospital visit I've ever had." I blurted out.

Gai looked confused. "What do you mean? You've only been admitted twice."

"A lot can happen in three days." I answered before the door slammed open. "Hello, Kakashi. Care to join the, uh... Small gathering?"_ And the human rule book appears. 'Konoha-nins are a talkative bunch.' Even if it was from my dream it's true. Messages spread fast._

"Genma-san, please-" Kakashi began before Genma cut him.

"Way ahead of you, let's go guys." He said dragging a slightly beat up Gai.

When the door closed-

"You could have died." He started.

"Either way, Kakashi, it's going to happen. We're ninjas, shit happens. Just be happy I didn't break a leg."

"You should have been more careful." He argued.

"I was." I frowned.

"You said you won't get hurt as long as you're near a tree, because it's your 'home base'." He pointed out.

"Well, I was wrong and you're over reacting." I admitted._ Cut me some slack I said that when I was half asleep._

"I am not over reacting. I am concerned."

"Too concerned-" The door slammed open once again. "Please, stop slamming the door." I whined.

"We_ ***pant*** _caught up._ ***pant***_" Obito collapsed near the bed while Rin smiled and said a quick 'good morning' while placing new flowers on the vase.

Kakashi changed his composure and crossed his arms, acting calm and collected. "_Tch, calm and collected,_" I mumbled in English.

Kakashi glared._ I will break that code._

I arrogantly smirked in return._ I would like to see you try, and fail every time._

Kakashi had always been paranoid whenever I get back from missions. Now that I'm in the hospital he's even worse... This makes me think twice about letting Madara 'take care' of Obito and letting Rin die. Once they leave the picture who knows how much Kakashi is going to freak out.

"Takeshi, you're awake._ ***pant*** _Finally_... ***pant***_ Do you have water?"

"I **had **some." _Speaking of Obito going away... It's almost time._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past._**

**_~George Orwell_**

* * *

**A/N:**

Humor is not my main genre but sometimes I **try **to lighten things up... Then drastically change the fanfic's aura in the next chapter.

_How are Gai, Ebisu and Genma? In other words, are they OOC or just fine?_

~NoIdea135 *5798*


	19. Unclear Aftershocks

**Word count: **4,939

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**~The Next Day**_

"Good morning, child. I would like to have a chat with you."

I bowed. "Of course, Hokage-sama, Is this about the mission?"

"Partially-" Before he finished a messenger hawk appeared by the window sill. He sighed. "This will just be a minute; you don't mind waiting do you?"

"No, not at all take your time, Hokage-sama. It helps me learn patience." I answered.

He smiled and went to read the letter. I drummed my fingers while waiting for the Hokage to finish writing._ Why is he answering letters in a hospital? And in front of a 'kid'?_

He finished the letter and tied it to the leg of a hawk. He cleared his throat and turned his attention to me. "I apologise for this. The village has been busy these past few days."

"Iwa,"

"Yes, but that's not what I planned to say. First I'm here to tell you that Arashi and Hideo are fine. They're awake but still in bed rest, like you."

I smiled. "What about, Shinji-taicho?"

"I'm sorry but he didn't make it." He said sadly.

Frowning, I made a mental note, reminding myself to visit his family._ This is my fault again isn't it?_

"Don't worry I took care of everything, his sacrifice was not wasted. We managed to capture 4 Iwa-nins; they are currently at T&I."

I nodded. "Hokage-sama, I've been wondering... Why would you send the civilians to Hacho? If they left Konoha their lives will be in even more danger."_ Why didn't I realize this before?_

"I knew you would ask that. I know there was a risk at sending your team on a mission yet I still did." He admitted with a sigh. "Iwagakure for example wants to use you against the village they plan on feeding you with lies." He paused.

_Iwagakure wants to capture me and feed me with lies... Kind of makes me want to hear the lies. Some 'liars' lead you to the truth, like Hideo._

"I never planned on sending civilians to Hacho Village. As you said earlier their lives are already in danger, sending them outside would get them killed. Truthfully, it was Hacho who stepped forward and called for help." _Why?_

"We needed to check on Hacho Village and its neighbouring ally Tonika Village. They reported unknown chakra signatures lurking the towns. I thought your team was the best to send because the four of you have a low profile with you only slightly higher than Shinji..." He frowned.

_Slightly higher profile... How the hell?_ "Why keep it a secret from Arashi and I?" I asked.

"You're not allowed to know about this because you might 'spread the word'. Don't take this the wrong way, I trust you both, but the elders are _extremely _cautious." He explained.

"I understand this is classified information, for your convenience I won't ask any other questions concerning the villages." The Hokage smiled.

_Hacho and Tonika aren't ringing any bells so they're fine._

"But there is one thing I would like to clarify, if you don't mind."

"Go on,"

"If the elders don't trust us then why are you telling **me **this?"

"It's just to let you know what's happening. You are joining the Anbu unit after partaking in the jonin exams. So I might as well give this information in advance. Whether you pass the test or not you'll still wind up in the Anbu unit."

"Oh..."

Another messenger hawk landed on the window sill. The Hokage sighed and stood up. "Well I'll be off now. You don't need to report anything to me; I already asked Hideo and Arashi."

I nodded. "Can I visit them?"

He thought about it for a while but walked to the door and grabbed the knob before answering. "Make sure the nurse doesn't catch you. You are still 'grounded'. 121 and 134," And the door closed.

I sighed deeply and slowly fell on my bed. _Anbu... I almost forgot. Why does Iwa want me, though? I'm getting the feeling Hiruzen is going to dodge that one._

An idea suddenly popped into my head. _I'll talk to Hideo, he's an enemy but he gives good advice._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

_**Mist clone's P.O.V.**_

_Brain *flip*_

_The Brain- an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system, It is located in the head close to the primary sensory organs for such senses as vision, hearing, balance, taste, and smell. *flip*_

_The Cerebral Cortex- the largest part, is estimated to contain 15–33 billion neurons. Each of the neurons is connected by synapses to several thousand other neurons._

_These neurons communicate with one another by means of long protoplasmic fibers called axons._

_The Axons- carry trains of signal pulses called action potentials to distant parts of the brain or body targeting specific recipient cells. *flip*_

_Physiologically, the function of the brain is to exert centralised control over the other organs of the body._

"I never noticed this before but the brain is like a parasite and the human body is its host."

"Excuse me?" Gozu asked.

"Nothing, I'm just taking verbal notes."

"Yeah, but what do parasites and brains have in common?"

"The parasite controls the host same as the brain does to human bodies. See here, page 138." I cleared my throat. "_Physiologically, the function of the brain is to exert centralised control over the other organs of the body_. The brain controls all bodily functions, breathing, eating, getting hungry, feeling cold, and everything else. So I just thought..." I looked back down and continued to read.

"Right," he slowly nodded his head. "How did you come up with that?"

"It's called spontaneous thinking."

"Why do you think about stuff like that?"

"I'm bored."

"Hey guys," Meizu called.

We both turned to him. confusion evident in our faces, "Is something wrong?"

"No, everything's fine I just have a _question_. Why are you still awake? It's almost 'lights out' time." He asked with an annoyed tone and a scowl.

"Suzumo-sensei said we had to research the internal organs we got for tomorrow's 'report'." I answered. "And since when do you follow the rules?"

Meizu ignored my question and asked. "They expect us to write about the internal organs?"

"Yes," I rolled my eyes.

The twins and I are academy students. _How?_ Simple, Grid-face and Cloth-mask: At first I didn't mind them knowing about our 'training'. But it just happened, one trip to the Mizukage's office with Cloth and Grid then suddenly we're students and we live in an apartment.

I don't even know why they 'enrolled' us, but I decided to just go with it._ It's not every day a swordsman or two acts nice._

_Everything has a price though._ The price wasn't specified but I'm pretty sure putting us in the academy is already a one-way ticket to death by decapitation:_ Or something gore-y like that._

How _nice _of the Mizukage, giving us a small room in the 'orphanage'. Unlike Nono's it had cursing, violent pranks, middle of the night screaming, and mealtime roughhousing._ A face to the palm will never be enough to present my frustration._

"What's your internal organ?" I asked casually. _Current lesson: Human Internal Organs. _They said the class was only for first-year students._ I guess hunter-nins are in demand._

"I got the spleen." Gozu said.

"My paper says bile duct... What is a bile duct?!"

I shrugged, uncaring. "That's why you're supposed to do research on it."

He scratched his head. "So far, I hate the academy. When are we going to learn how to use weapons and do spars?" Meizu whined.

"_Before you learn how to kill you must first learn the basic one-hit kill methods. _Meaning we have to learn which parts are lethal when damaged, like the spleen for example. One stab is enough to kill, add poison and _bam _he or she is dead in a minute." I explained.

I took out a piece of paper with notes on _'The Importance of the Bile Duct'_. "Lucky for you I thought ahead." Not that I wanted to do his homework or anything. I just needed both of them to be in the same grade as me so I wouldn't lose the two pillars that stabilise my so-called _'Temple of Sanity'_.

"Now listen... Interlobular bile ducts, intrahepatic bile ducts, left and right hepatic ducts, common hepatic duct, cystic duct, common bile duct, pancreatic duct-"

"What the hell are those, _Fuyuki_?"

I rolled my eyes and threw a book at him. "Read." I commanded with a deadly glare. "I have not been accustomed to the name Fuyuki just yet so calling me that would be much appreciated."

"Why do you talk like that?"

"It doesn't matter." I looked around and noticed my missing dog. "Where's Kiiro?"

"**EEEEEEEEKKKKK!**" A girl squealed.

"**KYAAAAAA!** Another copied.

"GET OUT! GET OUT!" The third joined.

"I think he's in the girl's bathroom." Gozu said.

"Lucky mutt," Meizu said under his breath.

Gozu and I raised a brow at him as if to say _'Are you serious?'_

He returned it with an uncaring shrug. "I'll go get him." He announced opening the door.

Neither of us stopped him. "He... Is going to get beat up... Badly," Gozu said.

I nodded my head in agreement. "I'm not helping him."

"Me either." He admitted.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_3rd person's P.O.V._**

_(Kirigakure, Mizukage Office, ~Last year)_

The trio found themselves inside the Mizukage's office with 'Grid-face' and 'Cloth-mask' behinds them to prevent any chance of escape.

"Are these the 'street children' you two found?" Yagura asked, lacking both gentleness and care for the matter.

"Yes, Yagura-sama," 'Cloth-mask' answered. Seeing 'Cloth-mask' call the baby-faced adult 'Yagura-sama' made Harumi knit his brows.

Meizu rolled his eyes at the word 'street children' while Gozu drummed his fingers uncomfortably.

"You expect me to believe that they know how to use chakra? They look like they could barely lift a sword." Meizu knitted his brows in anger and directed his gaze on a plant.

_Barely lift a sword... One of the most insulting things people from Kiri could say to one another. I guess it works the same in Samurai countries too... If there are any. _Harumi thought.

"Ah..." Harumi started. "May I ask why we were summoned here, Mizukage-sama."

Yagura eyed the blue-haired boy warily before answering. "Sotaro, Mineo."

'Grid-face', or Sotaro, grinned in delight. "You are joining the academy. That's every kid's wish, correct?"

"Yes, but why?"

"You have some guts, questioning us right off the bat. Are you the 'leader' of this group?" 'Cloth-mask', or Mineo, asked.

"There was an unspoken agreement-"

"No there wasn't." Meizu argued.

Harumi made an 'oh' sound. "Right, gotcha," He pretended. "Unspoken," The boy zipped his mouth in pure mockery.

"Your sarcasm is delightful." Meizu said in distaste.

"Why thank you, I appreciate the efforts you put, in trying to insult me."

Gozu flushed in embarrassment as his eye twitched in annoyance. Crossing his arms, he thought._ Why bring this here? Meizu just can't admit defeat, can he?_ He always had to listen to the two exchange insult after insult.

Yagura, despite having two bickering children inside his office, remained impassive, examining them like he was choosing which merchandise to purchase.

Sotaro, Mineo and him already had a long and detailed discussion about the three of them. Both Mineo and Sotaro informed him about three orphans with some 'potential'. He expected three mature teenagers not a pair of doppelgangers and a little _girl_.

Weighing the pros and cons as fast as he could he decided on giving Mineo and Sotaro a _chance_, something ordinary citizens will never get.

"Well, I'll allow it as long as they do well, they won't be eliminated." Yagura said calmly. "Oh, I'm _sorry _I meant they're 'base' would stay unknown. Do we understand each other, _children_?" He threatened. His pride, though will never allow anyone get off so easily.

"Yes, Mizukage-sama," The twins quickly complied and Harumi nodded accepting the 'truce'.

_Train to be one of my soldiers and you will be rewarded. _Yagura gave them a smirk. "You are dismissed."

Once the orphans were out of the building Yagura confronted the sword wielders. "Name, age, date of birth," He said casually while holding a pencil in one hand and supporting his head with the other.

Mineo nodded. "Meizu and Gozu, Age 9, June 6th. Harumi, Age 8, December 31st, same year,"

He wrote on the forms_ 9, 9, 8, 6th, 6th, 31st, male, male..._ "Harumi is a girl, correct?"

"... No, Mizukage-sama. He is a boy." Mineo answered.

"Tsk. That won't do..." He crumpled the form and threw it in the trash. Taking out an empty form he wrote._ Name: Fuyuki. Age: 8. Date of Birth: December 31st. _He answered the rest of the forms and made two copies signing each with his name.

After completing the forms he passed it to Sotaro. "Deliver this to the Academy and the _place_." He bluntly ordered.

Sotaro quickly read through the forms and raised a brow. Yagura noticed this and gave the swordsman a lazy look. "By doing so I am actually _helping _the boy. If he does turn into a useful weapon we wouldn't want any unnecessary fuss about his name, do we?" He let out a long sigh. "Besides changing names hardly ever matter what's important is survival." He narrowed his eyes. "Is there a problem with that?"

"No, of course not; we'll be off now." They proceeded to open the door.

"Remember well, what happens if they don't turn into useful weapons." Yagura reminded them while tapping his fingers on his staff.

"Yes, Yagura-sama," They bowed and closed the door.

Yagura slumped to his chair and scowled._ The things I do to keep them satisfied are never enough is it? Some even dare to insult me. They don't know the half of what I do to keep this place economically 'alive'._

_Missing-nins are increasing add a few more and Kiri would sink. Stealth and speed, hunter-nins are needed. Luckily the Hozuki clan produced another worthy prodigy..._

Yagura smirked._ This village wouldn't sink entirely after all if things work out the way I planned it._

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_3rd person's P.O.V._**

_(Konohagakure, Hospital, ~Present)_

Room 134, inside rests a jonin level ninja known as Sugiyama Hideo. Hideo as seen by Takeshi had short blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. Though in truth he- _***knock* *knock* *knock***_

A few knocks were heard from the door. "Come in." The door slowly opened and from behind it emerged a certain silver-haired boy.

"Hello Kakashi, what brings you here?" Hideo greeted.

The boy bowed respectfully before replying. "Good morning, Sugiyama-san. I just wanted to ask you some things, if you don't mind."

Hideo inwardly scowled but kept a happy smile intact. "Did the Hokage send you?"

"No." Kakashi answered, not quite understanding why Hideo would ask that. "I'm having trouble with Takeshi and since he's pretty close to you I thought..." Kakashi looked away and forced the rest of the words out. "Maybe you could _help _me."

Kakashi didn't feel comfortable asking other people for help but he really wanted to know what's going on inside his golden-eyed friend's head. Truthfully he was quite jealous of Hideo because Takeshi seems to talk to him and only him.

The jonin motioned for Kakashi to continue. "When he started training with his first sensei he's quite temperamental and is sometimes impolite, so I was always against the idea of him having a sensei. But now that he's with you he's slowly going back to normal, which I am very thankful for because it's what I always wanted."

"If what you wanted to happen is coming true then what exactly is the problem?"

"Whenever I try to do something nice he always has that look... As if he couldn't believe I'm _helping_. I don't understand why." Kakashi stayed stoic, but Hideo saw through the act and saw a person desperate for answers.

He sighed._ One advice wouldn't be so bad._ "Kakashi, this is what I think. But before that, I want you to know that this is just my opinion. I'm not a mind-reader like the Yamanaka this is just what **I **think, understood?" Kakashi nodded.

"Good. Now, from the things Takeshi told me I've noticed that you, um... Don't get along well with most people. Obito and Gai downright annoy you. Rin annoys you too, though I don't quite understand why. Minato also annoys you-"

"No he doesn't." Kakashi argued.

"Takeshi says he could feel the annoyance flowing out of you whenever Minato doesn't send you on a mission at least once a week."

Kakashi remained silent. The observation was true, he couldn't deny it. But being counterproductive is a something Hatake Kakashi will never do.

_To child prodigies keeping friends as friends is harder than killing._ Hideo thought. "The point is he's seeing a new 'side' of you and he thinks that you are supposed to fit that personality that he sees. In simpler words you need to reassure him that you're still the same even though you act that way now."

"Are you sure?"

Hideo nodded. "During my time with Takeshi he said quite a few things that had bothered me. Like for instance, he sometimes questions Hokage-sama's orders and his own loyalty to the village. I try my best to stir him away from that path and until now it's still a working progress. But in all honesty, when Takeshi said he didn't trust you I was... Not sure if I heard him right. He said you two have known each other since you were a year old, so the claim didn't really sit right with my mind."

"He said what?" Kakashi couldn't believe what Hideo said._ Have I changed so much that even Takeshi doesn't know what to think of me? _He thought.

Hideo raised a suspicious brow. "You mean he never talked to you about it?"

"No." Kakashi answered, still baffled by the news.

"I thought for sure he was going to talk to you, he said he would." Hideo thoughtfully looked at the ceiling.

Kakashi buried his head in his hands. "When did he say that? And why?" He asked as calmly as possible but with frantic concern, still clear in his voice.

"It's been a while... 2 years, I think. He said you were so wrapped up with the rules... Do I really need to explain further? It speaks for itself, really."

"What does following the rules have to do with-?" His eyes again widened as realisation hit him. Kakashi did his best to walk calmly out of the room.

"Wait, Kakashi," Kakashi stopped but didn't turn around. "Maybe you should talk to him when he's outside the hospital. He needs rest, making him think too much wouldn't help his recovery."

Kakashi murmured a quick 'Thank you' before closing the door.

Hideo sighed. Turning to the window he rolled his eyes and scowled._ Why do children always get the bad end of everything?_

Looking around, he saw nothing but white walls and two doors, one to the hallway and one to the rest room. _7 years isn't enough, no matter how many years I'm given it's never enough. The things I do to keep the village safe._ He thought.

Facing the window, he remembered. _Oh right, I have to talk to my little student. Danzo-sama would want me to keep him on our side._ _Poor child being used as bait to lure in Iwa, why must this happen?_

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Takeshi's P.O.V._**

_What do Uchiha Madara and Shimura Danzo have in common?_

_They both have strange ways of helping. _Madara started the eye of the moon plan to 'save the world from misery' while Danzo trains children to become his personal drones to 'protect the village with their lives'._ They both wanted to be the Hokage. _And finally, _they are both manipulative bastards._

Now imagine both of them tailing you, recording everything you do and just downright stalking you._ Tough life..._

I was pulled out of my thoughts when the door opened slowly and a head of cream coloured hair popped in with a grin. "Hello, my little student. How's your day?"

"Fine...? Hideo-sensei, shouldn't you be in your room?" I asked feigning concern._ How convenient. I thought I had to walk all the way across the hall._

"Oh come on, can't I just visit you? And besides it's boring in there." He complained childishly.

"I know what you mean." I agreed._ Hospitals remind me of the past... I don't like them. _"When do you get out?"

"Thursday, you're being discharged the same day, correct?" He asked sitting by the chair. I nodded. "Great, after we get out of here let's train."

"Huh, but I thought we're supposed to rest?"

"They said they'll let us out when we can already handle missions. So training is technically fine." Hideo argued.

Because of that I couldn't help but say, "You remind me of someone, sensei."

"Do I? Oh well, irony at its best." He said cheerfully.

"We should probably eat before we train." I said with a grin._ 'Hideo' is still the same... Hiruzen is keeping secrets and Danzo is still spying. What to do? Plans... I've got close to none._

"Sure thing, we go to the dango shop first." Hideo announced.

"Yes!" I cheered. "Who are we going to drag with us this time?"

"Nobody," He answered with a smile.

* * *

Thursday came and I was discharged with Hideo and Arashi but before meeting with them I decided to look for Jiraiya. On my way I passed the K.I.A. Stone so I decided to stop by for a while. I kneeled in front of it and searched for my father's name._ Kinju Yukimaru. Is that even his real name?_

Looking at the stone, I groaned._ Why couldn't I have been born during the same year as Konoha rookies or even Team Gai?_ _The universe really wants me to see the flip side of this 'inspirational' world, doesn't it?_

_Why does everything need to be complicated? Right now things aren't canon and I even have to clear out this Kinju and Hokage thing... Iwa wants me for a reason, could it be that they know something about my clan?_

"Sometimes lies lead you closer to the truth than the truth itself. What a messed up concept. Dad, are you hearing this? It's pretty dumb." I said to the stone as if someone were really there. _Yukimaru or not, it doesn't change anything, he's still my father._

"I see we meet again. You seem to like this spot." Someone behind me said._ Is this a meeting place or what?_

I turned and gave the speaker a smile. "Hello Orochimaru-san, nice to meet you again... Although, I'm pretty sure this is only the third time we've met."

"A meeting is a meeting it is always counted no matter how short or long it is." He replied._ I have no time for Orochimaru I have bigger things to worry about._ "Why are you here, Takeshi-kun?" He asked.

"I'm visiting my dad. Apparently having your name on this makes you a hero... You can't live through the glory though because, well you're dead. This makes me wonder the purpose of this stone. No one would even remember every single person here, not everybody cares, you can visit their grave at the cemetery every day, and if you care a lot about the person you wouldn't need a stone to remind you that you really do care."

Orochimaru smirked. "You say a lot during our meetings."

"I don't talk much but when I do it would either be long and informative or long and indistinguishable. Sorry if it bothers you... Wait... You have a choice to whether listen to what I'm saying or not, right?" I didn't give him time to answer I just continued and went with the most possible answer. "If so then why exactly do you listen, Orochimaru-san?"

"I am interested in knowing what goes on in children's mind, so I tend to listen as long as I find their verbally proclaimed thoughts worth listening to."

"Like a survey of personal childish reflections? That sounds cool. Am I part of it?" I asked._ They all had to start with children didn't they...? Wait, did Orochimaru already start his experiments?_

"You could say that."_ Well damn, just my 'luck'._

"Hey Orochimaru-san, you know what would help with that?" He shot me with an amused look, which made the hairs at the back of my neck jump straight up. "You could have a genin team then you could record their daily thoughts and complaints. But watch out because I'm pretty sure it would be mostly complaints about D-rank missions."

He chuckled. "I do, in fact, have a genin team."

My eyes widened. "Really?"_ A genin team... I don't know who they are but I do know Orochimaru's not lying. _"Can I meet them?"_ Who are the unlucky squirts who get to spend every single day of their genin lives with the creepy snake dude?_

"Isn't that a bit too much to ask, Takeshi-kun?" He asked slyly.

I shrugged. "Not really, it's just curiosity at its best and or worst. Curious minds often don't have happy endings but without them we also wouldn't have 'chakra' or a village, much less a simple community. Simple is never the goal of the human mind. Oh hey, 'curiosity' that should be the main topic for children."

As he tilted his head to the side, his smirk widened. "I might consider another meeting, _Kinju-kun_."

I gave him a confused look but before I could ask Hideo flickered beside me. "There you are Takeshi. I thought you said we would train after we get discharged from the hospital?"

"Sorry I was just looking for Jiraiya-san I wanted to return this." I said as I fished out Jiraiya's book from my pouch. "I don't know what's in it because Genma-san told me not to open it until I'm 19."

"Really let me see that." I handed it to Hideo. As he flipped through the pages he made 'u-huh' and hissing sounds, before slamming it shut. "Good that you listened to him. It has bad grammar, someone should proof read it. Also, this inappropriate for children, how did you get this?" He asked._ It is a draft! But how could Jiraiya mistake it for his 'Gutsy Ninja' book._

"Gai gave it to me. He said Jiraiya-san asked him to give it to me so I would have something to read while I was in the hospital. But I guess there was a mix up." I said scratching the back of my neck.

"Are you sure this is from Jiraiya-san?"

"That's what Gai said."

"I could give back to him, if you want." Orochimaru offered.

I was surprised but happy. "Really? Thanks Orochimaru-san, you're the best." I said with a smile._ I can't believe I just said that._ I took the book from Hideo and gave it to him but hesitated. "You don't mind?"

He chuckled. "I offered _help_, didn't I?"

"I guess... Thanks again, though. I'll make it up somehow."

"Wonderful." He said as he accepted the book. Conjuring the _ram _hand seal, he was gone in a second. _Damn... I just screwed my life even more, didn't I?_

"Takeshi, aren't you forgetting something?" Hideo's voice cut through my thoughts.

"Oh right, let's go to training ground 4!"

"No we're going to the dango shop first." He said running as fast as he can towards the shop.

Most of the time I would argue but I can't say no to dango... Unless, it's poisoned, of course.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see the real you, or what you have been conditioned to believe is you? The two are so, so different. One is an infinite consciousness capable of being and creating whatever it chooses, the other is an illusion imprisoned by its own perceived and programmed limitations._**

**_~David Icke_**

* * *

**A/N:**

Whoa, someone found my fanfic. _sonyat_ ma'am, you have outdone yourself. Thanks for noticing all of those things.

Hm... Who could Orochimaru's students be? Haha, I'm having fun writing this fanfic, the closer to canon the better.

~NoIdea135 *5798*


	20. Ten Gold Whirlpools

**Word count: **3,297

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

The jutsu whirled around as the chakra took the shape of the ball. Kakashi just showed me his incomplete Rasengan. It took him exactly 6 months, to successfully create the A-rank technique, with personal tutoring from Minato and a bit from Jiraiya.

At first when he showed me the jutsu I was tempted to say,_ Took you long enough_, but decided against it when he said, "Wind is one of your elements... do you want me to teach you?"_ Now, who could say no to that?_

I started learning the Rasengan while Kakashi started to modify the technique. I suggested the idea and he became fully engrossed with it.

Before we started training I made him promise to keep our 'operations' a secret just until he becomes a jonin. My reasoning,_ It would attract to much unwanted attention_. Imagine what people would say,_ Two, 11-year-old chunins practising and modifying an A-rank technique, unsupervised? Well damn, let's send them to T&I!_

People often call us 'prodigies' but I would say something like this is crossing the line, maybe were not allowed to modify dangerous, high-level techniques, like the Rasengan. _Maybe the technique was exclusive to the Hokage, Anbu, Jiraiya and Team Minato, meaning I'm not supposed to know about it, yet._

In other words,_ I might get caught and there is no way I am going to T&I, Madara will kill me if they see my memories and I can't let them know about the future or my old life._

Kakashi told me to recreate the Rasengan first before trying 'lightning ball' because it would make learning it easier, not that he already figured out how to make the thing he calls 'lightning ball'.

Channelling the chakra needed was a piece of cake, shaping the technique however is taking a while. I was trying to shape chakra, which was a lot harder than turning your hand to an alternative Taser.

Thankfully, Kakashi was nice enough to act as a sensei and is teaching me how to make the Rasengan.

Although, truth be told, babies can't teach babies and Kakashi's not exactly teacher material, and he never will be.

So far, all I can do is stare intensely at my palm like an idiot waiting for something to happen.

* * *

I did my best and followed all the steps, but Kakashi and I watched as my hand was engulfed with visible chakra, once again.

We sighed in frustration. "Maybe I need something to help me practice shaping the technique." I suggested.

"Why not try spinning it?" I made a face._ How is that helpful? _Two seconds later Kakashi gave up in explaining. "Wait here, I'm going to get something that might help." He said going towards his house.

I again concentrated my chakra and made it visible. It danced around my hands I glared at it as my finger twitched, looking as if it wanted to shape it like clay.

Kakashi came back with a balloon. "Here try moving the air inside it would help memorize the way you manipulate your chakra." I accepted it and examined the object. "Well...? Aren't you going to try it?" Kakashi asked.

"Yes I will, but before that tell me how you managed to make the Rasengan?" I asked.

"Like this-" He held up his hand and in a few seconds a sphere made of chakra glowed. "-see?"

"You are not a very good teacher." I dropped bluntly.

"Say all you want, I'm not planning on becoming a sensei." He countered.

"Ah yes, when you do become a sensei I will remind you of this day, okay?"_ Look at little Kakashi, he never fails to jinx his future._

He tilted his head then sighed. "Just try this it will help, though it might still take you six months or maybe a whole year."_ He clearly has too much faith in me... whatever, I'll take it._

I only nodded in reply and started to shape the balloon to a circle.

It took a while to get the air to spin the way I wanted it to, but later on it worked out just fine.

"Hey Kakashi," I called not daring to look away from the elastic. "How long am I supposed to do this?"

"As long as you need to memorize the flow and shape," He answered.

"Thanks," I said, concentrating my chakra.

The balloon occasionally turned into an oblong and I tried my best to keep it shaped like a perfect circle. I imagined circular motions and the balloon slowly spun and hovered over my palm.

"Damn it, stop spinning," I complained. "Only the air inside is supposed to spin."

**_*pop*_**

The anger got a hold of my concentration, resulting in the popping of the balloon.

I flinched. "It's been a while since I last heard a balloon pop," I rubbed my ears. "It didn't sound as loud, the last time."

Kakashi laughed at me. "You should have been more careful... maybe we need an adult."

"Says the guy who electrocuted himself," I said in a low voice. "Kakashi, you are unknowingly insulting me whenever you bluntly flaunt the words 'we need an adult'." I said, trying to make him laugh.

I always insisted that I was mentally an adult, but when I claimed it he took it as a joke. _We can go by the 'saying', it's funny because it's true._

It still works, he laughed, and it sounded real. "I wish I can go back to the time when we were still toddlers."

I made a face. "You want to do potty training all over again?"

He smiled. "I want to repeat everything, when we were kids fooling around was normal, but now it's not an option." His features, though hidden under a mask, visibly saddened. "Don't you want to repeat everything?"

_No, I'm not going back to being a weak and vulnerable child. I'm getting closer my original age, I can almost feel 'normal'. I'm physically becoming an adult, I'm about to join Anbu, I'm about to start my plans, people will start taking me seriously-_

"Takeshi," The name pulled me out of my thoughts.

"What?" I asked, looking at the bird that flew by.

"You seem uncomfortable with the idea. What were you thinking of?"

It took me a few seconds to think of the right words to say. "Why do you want to do a repeat?" Kakashi blinked in surprise at my dead tone. "Is it because of Sakumo-san and dad?"

I am a cruel person, bringing up a sensitive topic in the middle of a happy conversation._ But if I don't then who else will 'Kashi-nii' turn to?_

He doesn't want help from the Hokage nor does he consider talking to Minato. So, what better way to make him start talking than his 'childhood friend' asking him about the matter?_ Not a good plan but really, what else can I do? Hug him or something?_

He lowered his gaze. "I might have been."

"Do you want them back?" I asked.

His fist clenched, causing his knuckles to crack. "Yes," He forced himself to say, "I want _them _back." When he said them I got the feeling he was only talking about Sakumo. "If-" He stopped.

I turned to see him glaring at a floating leaf. "Don't worry, Kakashi, everything will turn out fine."

He turned to me, his glare still in place. "I'll be right back."

I watched him walk back into his house. _Regret,_ _he feels regret for abandoning Sakumo... _

_Kakashi, you can be a bit of a pain sometimes, but you're the only one who actually cares about me._

_I promise to make sure that you and Sakumo will have a mini-reunion. _I thought with determination clear on my face.

* * *

After the talk about Sakumo and Yukimaru both Kakashi and I acted as if it never happened. We both agreed that for our own good, it's best to stay away from conflict._ Keep moving backwards, away from sensitive topics._

Practising the Rasengan took most of my time and became a slight interruption to my schedule, but it was worth it.

"Yes, success!" I cheered while trying to keep the spinning ball of chakra on my hand.

"I'm surprised you actually managed to get it in eight months," Kakashi said, then shrugged. "But, now you have to learn the Chidori." He bluntly reminded me.

I pouted. "Oh, come on, let me experience the feeling of success a little longer."

"Nope," He said, shaking his head. "You have 8 months and 3 days."

I groaned. "Fine, I'll try." _This will take me a year._

A week ago Kakashi showed me his Rasengan inspired ninjutsu, the Chidori. It buzzed and crackled, lightning formed to shape like a ball. Kakashi said it sounded like birds, hence its name Chidori, but we all know it's called 'lightning ball'.

_In English when someone says 'Chidori' and 'Rasengan' my brain somehow automatically classifies it as cool but now that I learned Japanese, the cool sounding 'Chidori' and 'Rasengan' sounds like someone who has successfully counted all the birds in the air and someone who really, really likes spinning things._

I wonder how it would have been for me 13 years ago if they translated Chidori and Rasengan to English, I'd be constantly reading someone screaming **_One Thousand Birds!_** and **_Spiralling Sphere!_**, kind of dumb.

The 'Chidori' was perfected with the help of the sharingan. By personally witnessing Kakashi 'kill' Soku, the very first dummy to get attacked by the infamous technique, I concluded that without the sharingan the technique could still be used.

The downside is a certain amount of chakra is needed, due to that and the limited amount of chakra I have to cast the jutsu, speed is essential._ The faster the kill the more opponents you can smother._

The key is high speed, high chakra control, high chakra reserves, a large amount of concentration, and extremely good vision.

Rasengan required no hand seal while Chidori required _monkey_, _dragon_, _rat_, _bird_, _ox_, _snake_, _dog_, _tiger_, and _monkey_. That's too many so, naturally, I suggested fewer hand seals, which we are still working on.

Although, I must admit I'm getting ahead of myself again. I'm back to step 1, which is staring at my palm like an idiot.

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_Nine-tails attack: 2 years_**

I woke up one morning to see myself holding three scrolls. _Where did this come from?_

I opened it without thinking and saw basic genjutsu. "I can't do genjutsu!" I screamed.

I was thankful that I don't live with Kakashi anymore. I now live at my old house, meaning Zetsu can drop by- or pop out of the floor, any time.

The house still looked the same wooden walls, wooden floor, sliding doors, two rooms, a dining area, and a storage area- for weapons and scrolls.

I slept at my old room which I fixed and placed a bed in. I made sure my parent's room stayed clean._ That's where mother took her last breath... that's where I was born._

I sighed and I examined the scrolls. In the middle of a roll, I saw a torn piece of paper stuck inside. I pulled it out and saw a note that said,

[_Madara-sama wanted you to learn genjutsu we talked to your clone, Harumi-chan or Fuyuki-chan, yesterday as well._]

[Your inability to use Fuinjutsu runs in the blood, but your tenuous genjutsu skills are a result of your possible resistance to seeing something fake. _That's what Madara-sama told you yesterday._]

[_That made me wonder why you're helping us since you know what are plans are. But, anyway I hope you remember the rest of the night._]

[_This is Guruguru by the way!_]

_Last night...?_ I threw the covers off and fixed the bed. _Inability to use Fuinjutsu runs in the blood? It makes sense... the Uzumaki specialises in seals, the Kinju wouldn't waste the opportunity to team up with a clan that could give them knowledge on their weakness._

I walked out of the room and headed straight for the kitchen. _Genjutsu, resistance to seeing something fake? That seems a bit farfetched, I'm not sensitive to lies... _I coughed and cursed myself for foolishly denying an obvious fact.

Before I opened the refrigerator my hand froze remembering the events.

_Hideo is a Kinju... Kinju Akumu. He's family... that wasn't a dream._

* * *

Yesterday evening, I woke up at Madara's cave. He made me release my clone so everything they talked about and the rest of Harumi's- or Fuyuki's, charged straight at me.

Before I fainted, Madara ordered me to make another clone. I made _Fuyuki _an inch taller again and fainted right after I transferred half of my chakra to the clone.

Now I'm sitting at the table with a bowl of ramen, barely touched and going cold.

_It's possible. _I nervously drummed my fingers on the wooden surface as I thought.

Danzo only recruits people with special abilities, a plus if he or she is a Uchiha, and if not from a clan then a rare ability. _For example, the socially awkward, painter from Shippuden, or a Hokage 'link'... like Orochimaru._

He or she also needs to have this thing Danzo refers to as 'darkness'. _From the years I have been with Danzo I've learned that 'darkness' equals to 'horrible childhood' or 'accidental amnesia'._

I poked the noodles with my chopsticks and sighed. _Hideo definitely falls on the kekkei genkai and rare category... but did he lose his memories or did he have a horrible childhood?_

I made a 'Tsk' sound. _Danzo needs to be killed._ Madara ordered his death after I told him what exactly Danzo does. My hands started to sweat and the speed of my fingers drumming the table increased.

I flinched remembering what was under the cloth that hid Danzo's arm. Madara said, Danzo has no right to steal the Sharingan._ I guess eye-theft is only somewhat 'legal' for the Uchiha's to do, other people will immediately be in death roll._

I decided to start eating before the food becomes cold. I was hoping that the delicious meal would take some of my anxiety away but it didn't seem to help. It only made me look like a robot trying hard to eat like a regular human.

_Like Obito, Madara wants me to repay him too, not for saving my life but for telling me the half-truth about my clan. _Though he lied to me plenty of times the Leaf didn't exactly do any better.

_Dad is a Yuki, that's what Madara said... but it doesn't fit right. Sure Hideo's a Kinju, believable, but dad as a Yuki... now that I think about it..._

_~If you behave, when I get back I'll teach you something about our clan!~_

After a long moment of silence, I sighed in exasperation and decided to think about something else.

The jinjuriki wouldn't be much of a problem as long as the Akatsuki will be born... _I need to help form the Akatsuki to ensure the destruction of the Leaf._

_Although, it might not be completely destroyed... but if I can convince the Akatsuki to attack earlier then there might be a chance to completely obliterate the village._

I pushed the chair away and ran in my small room. Taking a piece of paper and a pencil out I made a line in the middle. _We start at _'KA' _which is the birth of our main enemy, his name is Uzumaki Naruto._

I drew thirteen small lines along the right side. _12 or 13 years after, a big event happens that will involve Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. Uchiha Sasuke, the younger brother of Itachi, will defect from the village._

I quickly wrote the events and eyed the big gap. _I'm guessing that's when the Akatsuki will start recruiting its members. The Uchiha massacre will and should definitely happen... the results of the future of my plans are hanging on Itachi's shoulder._

"Not good... not good," I said. _My memory isn't that good and I'm not a super fan who knows what happens every year, I didn't write stuff down until now. I won't even know where I am in the timeline if I didn't hear rumors about Kakashi getting promoted to jonin._

_Actually, I'm not even sure where I really am in the timeline. Who knows how many years it will 'take for the 'KA' to happen? I need to write more notes to keep track of things._

"No," I stopped myself. "Main adversary first, timeline place later."

_Sasuke and Naruto is our main target, it will be really hard to deal with Naruto so we obviously need Madara to lend a hand. Sasuke, however..._

I chuckled and whistled._ Uchiha Sasuke, the little brat who gets regular 'power-ups' from certain people like Orochimaru, Itachi and Obito._

"Maybe I can convince Obito to ignore him," I thought out loud. _If none of them helped him he'll stay as an obnoxious, arrogant little brattling and wouldn't be much of a problem._

_At least, that's as far as my wonky brain could calculate for now._

I cheerfully dropped my fist on my palm. "Yes, it's a full proof-**no**, wait," I grabbed a new sheet and wrote more notes.

"No," I insisted to the voice saying, _'but it's full proof'_. "If Sasuke doesn't go to Orochimaru then Danzo... no one will kill him! That old geezer has to die," I said with venom dripping from my words.

"He's stealing Sharingan eyes and he used a clan member. It's bad enough that he used me, brainwashing Akumu crossed the line. No one uses **my **family-**_MY clan_**, to protect **this **village." I spat out angrily. "Madara, wants him dead as well."

_I brought the Kinju to this world, nobody, especially Konoha, are allowed to rule them. They should be independent, they should be at home... I need to rebuild Uzushiogakure. I need to find the others... I wonder if the Uzumaki would agree to this._

"What do I-?" I blinked, all the anger slowly turning to a feeling of confusion, then realization... and eventually, stupidity. "Oh... yes, that could work too."

* * *

**\( - _ - )/|**oo0oo**|\( - _ - )/**

* * *

**_I'll never stop dreaming that one day we can be a real family, together, all of us laughing and talking, loving and understanding, not looking at the past but only to the future._**

**_~LaToya Jackson_**

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks so much for 50 follows, I never thought it would reach that many. (Sorry for making you wait for 2 weeks, I've been busy.)

Big thanks to _setsunaxx _for being the 50th person to push the follow button. Don't worry favorites I didn't forget you, _meslens_, 43rd to favorite thanks a lot.

Special thanks to _Golum936 _for sticking with me, up until now. There might be others but I don't have very good memory, so if you were one of the people who remembers "Colour-filled dead leaves" or "Interesting?", kudos to you too!

More than half of you might not be able to relate to that. Sorry.

The next chapter will have the jonin exams. (I'll try my best to update weekly from now on.)

~NoIdea135 *5798*


	21. A Test for Homeschooled Teens

**Word count: **4,479

* * *

\( - _ - )/|oo0oo|\( - _ - )/

* * *

Konoha is one thing, the Mist is another. 'Harumi' didn't really do much other than change his name and the graduation ceremony changed.

___Three-tails, Mizukage, Grid-face, Cloth-mask, Meizu, and Gozu. I'm an academy student. I'm not Harumi anymore. My name is Fuyuki. The Mizukage wants me to become a tool for Kiri. Takeshi, Harumi, Fuyuki... what is my name?_

___Never mind, names change... nothing new._

_**~"It's such a shame you're not an Uchiha."~**_

I shivered, vaguely remembering Madara's voice claim. "It's such good luck I'm not an Uchiha."

* * *

_"Your name from now on is Fuyuki, got it squirt?" Grid-face told me with a grin._

_"Why?"_

_"All your questions will never be answered... unless you manage to get a decent rank."_

_..._

_"Harumi... I'll still call you that because it's your real name." Gozu said with a shrug._

_"No we should call him, Fuyuki."_

_"Call me whatever you want, I don't care." Fuyuki said crossing his arms._

* * *

Harumi, Meizu and Gozu stealing from stands, inside the Mizukage building, inside a dark room with futons, and inside a classroom._ What do I do there now?_

After a long moment of silence I finally said, "Damn..."

Before I could further analyze the situation I heard a knock at the the door._ Oh good, distractions, I can't believe I'm saying this but I need them._

I quickly- and literally, dropped everything I was holding and jumped to the front door and opened it.

"Hi, Takeshi-kun we heard you moved and we just wanted to visit." Rin said happily smiling at me.

"We?" I cocked an eyebrow.

Looking behind her I saw three other people, Obito, Gai and Genma.

"Hey," Genma greeted, his voice clearly showed he was forced to come here.

"Hi, sorry about the place I haven't completely cleaned."

* * *

_Friends, I've learned to make some and I've learned to keep most. But I never learned how to lose them and I never learned to stay away from them. Now I must suffer the consequences that my personal decisions bring... hasn't the world had enough already?_

_Is it really the world at fault here? Or do I just live with the delusion that it punishes me?_

...

_Either way it's too late to turn back now. I have plans, I have to make them work. Whether it is productive or counterproductive to the village, it must be done._

_I am not going to live my second life doing nothing, I know the future I must control it. Whether it is Takeshi, Harumi or Fuyuki, names don't matter, what matters is survival and completing my goals._

_A goal to let the world know what it has done to me, a goal to make them suffer and feel the pain of their own destiny._

_Because, what else is a person like me supposed to do in a world of murder? Might as well go with the flow, don't you think?_

_Oh, would you look at that, time flies even when you're not having fun. Minato and Kushina are getting married next year._

* * *

\( - _ - )/|oo0oo|\( - _ - )/

* * *

_~"The exam will be held at the 44th training ground, the same place where the Chunin Exam is held every 1st of july, but instead next week on the 15th of january. The ten of you will be partaking in the Jonin Exam. The exam is held every five years."~_

_~"This year we actually have quite a lot of examiners but that wouldn't be much of a problem. The exam has only one stage and it will be explained by your examiner. Congratulations in getting the chance to participate in this exam, good luck."~_

Hiruzen said quite a lot.

For the exam I wore a grey sweater under my flak jacket and had two holsters on my right leg and another set on my left, both filled with senbon. Three more holsters hung by my waist, one filled with bomb kunai and regular ones then the other two had small biscuits and bandages.

_Basically, what I'm trying to imply is I looked ridiculous... and heavily armed._ The forest itself already gave me an advantage but in the Forest of Death, you can never be sure about anything.

_Bears, wolves, bees, and poisonous plants._ It's like a nursery for dangerous plants and animals, once you enter you're automatically the target of the extremly territorial ones.

Everybody sat down by the gate of training ground 44, most practiced and some started conversations. From the looks of it most of us are teenagers, 12-18 years old.

_Why is the examiner late? The only reason I see would be that-_

I stopped my thoughts when I heard the familiar whistling noise of a kunai bomb. Instead of dodging like a sane person, I pulled out a regular kunai and threw it at the weapon.

_***clang***_

There was a sound as the enemy's kunai made a turn and luckily landed by an empty spot and exploded.

The rest of the 'examinees' pulled out their weapons, a girl with orange hair pulled out a bow and arrow, one muscular guy weilded swords, another had her hands in a fist with a large amount of chakra focused on them, and the last one pulled out chains of weapons from his pouch- literally, a chain with kunai tied to it.

I felt something move behind me and gawked to see Sora with **my **bomb kunai._ How did he get my weapon?!_

He threw it at the direction where he thought the attacker was, another kunai followed and exploded at the same spot.

A quick shadow moved and disappeared, rustling noises sounded from the trees. In a flash everybody was back-to-back in a circle with their weapons out.

I had my leaves floating above me while I held a kunai. Looking around, I saw more of the competition.

One guy had an umbrella, another had a her sleeves up revealing a contraption with weapons, one had small sheets of paper, a boy crouched down with his hands already holding the tiger hand seal and the one beside me- Sora, had a dagger and a... small, wooden doll.

_Is he a puppet master? _I literally growled. "Puppets," I sneered in my mother language.

The leaves seemed to have a mind of their own, they warily floated beside Sora. Luckily, he doesn't seem to mind- or notice, he was too busy fiddling with hid tiny Mokujin.

The attacker finally decided to slightly reveal himself with a creepy laugh that spread throughout the small clearing. Some flinched and every hair we all had probably stood up, Sora however hummed a happy tune. We ignored his behavior and turned to see only the attacker's body, his face was hidden behind the shadows.

He wore dark pants and black open-toed shoes. His upper outfit was concealed under a black cloak that only reached his waist.

"Who are you?" The Tsunade copy-cat demanded. "Show yourself!"

He laughed. "You are all here today for the 'Jonin Exams', welcome." Everybody stayed on guard dispite the claim.

"The rules are quite simple," He pulled out three scrolls, ignoring our suspicious looks. "But before that remember this, each of you have a number _one_, _two_, _three_, _four_, _five_, _six_, _seven_, _eight_, _nine_, and _ten_. You will all collect three scrolls with the specific number and color you get. The scrolls are scattered all around the forest, you are only allowed to open them if you have them all in the same place."

The scrolls disappeared in a cloud of smoke and was replaced by a sheet of paper. "There are also sheets of paper with your name on it, find it and answer all 20 questions. But you have to find the one with the exact same number you have, be warned only one with the same number can be found. If the paper gets destroyed you fail. Same goes for the scrolls, only one and you fail."

The paper disappeared. "All this you have to do in a matter of 5 days, be sure to arrive here- at the entrance, with your scrolls and your sheet. Understood?"

"Who the heck are you?" The guy with the umbrella asked, pointing his weapon at our 'proctor'.

"Oh! I almost forgot," He pulled out ten sheets under his cloak and presented it to us. "You are to sign this form so that if anything were to happen to you I will not be held responsible for it."

The guy growled. "Answer me!"

The 'proctor' simply laughed at his stupid attempt. "Oh my! How rude of me," he stepped out of the shadows and stared us down with his yellow, snake-like eyes. "My name is Orochimaru, I am your proctor for the only round of the jonin exams." He said with an unnerving smirk.

"O-Orochimaru-san! I-I..." He cowered.

I inwardly laughed._ That's what you get for being a loudmouth._

"No need, no time to apologise," He smirked and eleven snakes emerged from his cloak and lined in front of us, hissing wildly. The guy with the umbrella was frozen stiff, his anxiety can be felt from the way his chakra jumped.

Orochimaru chuckled in delight. "Don't worry they won't hurt you. They simply carry the numbers and colors you have, choose wisely."

_Is he serious? _I thought._ Look children, here are eleven deadly snakes, pick the one you like the most!_

Sora scooted closer to me and whispered. "Our proctor is a bit on the weird side, hm?" He asked._ And that's coming from him._

I looked at him and the rest of the group. "Were all weird, Sora-san."

He considered my observation. "I guess." He nodded to himself. "Yep, humans are weird."

_Humans from this world, that is._ _What's with the sudden change from creepy to 'slightly normal'?_

Sora bounced happily and said, "I choose first!"

Orochimaru chuckled. "Fine... by the way did I mention you have to work in pairs." He asked as a snake wrapped around his arm.

_Oh, great I need a partner. _I scowled._ Why do we need partners? Working alone would be easier and faster._

I complained like a child for a while more until the word hit me. **Teamwork**.

_Damn i- _I was pulled by the arm and trapped in someone's grip. I didn't try to yank my arm, because some muscles might get stretched. Instead I stared at my captor, Sora. "Yes, Team Sky Warriors, for the win!"

"W-What?!"_ I disaprove of this!_

"one last thing," Orochimaru took out ten pieces of paper from under his cloak. "I need you to fill out these forms. This states that you are fully aware of the concequences of this exam, permanent injury and even death. I wouldn't be responsible for any of your failures or foolishness. Now, whos first?"

_This test's not only about teamwork, isn't it?_

* * *

Only a few streaks of light were able to shine to the ground, the 'Forest of Death' didn't seem so deadly at first glance. But when the animal calls started, it put me on the edge.

The minute I entered, I immediately made ten hawks and five rats. They scattered and went to look for six scrolls. The first is red with 4 written on the side and the other set is violet with number 7.

_~"Take good care of the scrolls,_** damage one and you will be disqualified. Do not open unless all scrolls are in the same area**_."~_

_~"Answer all questions in the sheet and take good care of it,_** damage it and you will be disqualified**_."~_

_~"Successfully bring all scrolls and the sheet back at the entrance in five days, or less._** All items must be in perfect condition**_."~_

_~"_**Refrain from dying**_."~_

_~"Successfully work with your partner and always have each other's back._ **Try not to kill each other**_... I really do hope luck is on your side."~_

I shivered. Orochimaru said everything with an unnerving smile. I wasn't sure if he was being sincere, the tone he uses makes it sound sarcastic but it somehow makes it feel real.

The 'Jonin Exam' sounded cool, to say the least- scrolls, middle of the forest tests and all those other stuff. But all I ended up doing the first day was explaining why Sora shouldn't eat apple seeds.

"Because they are poisonous."

He spluttered. "Right, 'poisonous'. But how many exactly? How many apple seeds can I eat before I drop dead?"

"I don't know, would you like to find out?"

* * *

First day we got to nothing, most exciting thing was running away from a wild boar who had a green scroll around it's neck._ Damn, if our scroll is around a black bear's neck I'm just going to slash my kunai at the closest... _I took a deep breath and clenched my fist._ Thinking murderous thoughts won't help. _I scolded myself.

"How the hell do we find three scrolls-"

"Six,"

"-six scrolls in five days?" I asked. "We only have three and a half days left and we don't know where we are. Our 'proctor' didn't even give us basic information on the forest." By now I sounded like an immature brat, demanding his parents to give him a toy. But the frustration and sleep deprivation was getting to me, slowly._ I was first watch last night._

"Well, it adds to the challenge" He started. "Training ground 44, also known as the 'Forest of Death', is a large place 44 gates and a metallic fence, blocking all exits... unless you could fly. There is a tower in the middle of this forest."

"A tower," I remember that one from the canon chunin exam. "Should we search there?"

"Mm," He considered it with a few clicks of his tongue. "Haven't your 'animals' reported anything yet?"

"We don't communicate telepathically, that only works with clones, so unless one of them comes back or 'dies', I wouldn't know what they're doing."

"So why didn't you make clones inst-ooohhh... right it would be much easier to hide." He tapped his chin before continuing. "Anyway, you know where they are, right?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Where?"

"Give me a minute," I concentrated on my scattered chakra. Even with the trees and animals around I could still sense my chakra, I probably wouldn't be able to do it to other's chakra though.

"5 kilometres north-west, 3 hawks. 2 kilometres east, 1 rat. 1 kilometre south, 2 rats. 7 kilometres south-east, 3 hawks. 10 kilometres west, 3 hawks." I answered.

"Approximately?" I nodded. He took out a map, a pencil, a ruler, and, surprisingly, a compass.

"In this map 1 cm is equal to 1 kilometre," He grabbed the ruler and wrote the distances I told him._ That is a small map._

I stood there waiting while he calculated our distance. While waiting, I noticed one of my hawks closing in on our location.

"Um, Sora-"

"Wait, wait... almost... got it! I'm not sure where we are exactly, but we, without a doubt, are on the east side. So the tower is either to north-west or south-west." He announced.

Forgetting the hawk, confusion washed over me. "Wow, Sora that's amazing?" I complemented.

"Of course, do you want to know how I did it?"

I gave him a quizzical look. "No it's fairly, basic. Plus, I can see your calculations from here. You're not exactly putting any effort into hiding your work." To my dismay, he wasn't listening.

He explained how he figured it out. I'm not lying when I say he sounds like Hideo. The slightly creepy tone in his voice was gone and was replaced with a rather relaxed and patient one.

I was so distracted that I barely noticed three scrolls falling from the sky. "Sora-"

"Wha-_***bonk***_ ouch, _***bonk***_ ugh, _***bonk***_ duck feathers." He faceplanted as the scrolls rolled on the ground. I grabbed them and grinned in delight.

"Sora we found two 7-V's and a 4-R!" I exclaimed.

"T-That's nice... now there's only one 'savah-vis' and two 'fur-rars'." He said with a thick Japanese accent.

"Right," I released the clone and found out the scrolls hiding spots. "Tree tops, tiny hole in the ground, underwater... man, good thing my creatures don't need air to live."

Sora rubbed his head and pouted. "Why did your bird drop those on _my _head?"

"It didn't do it on purpose you just so happened to be at the right spot at the wrong moment."

He rubbed his head and sighed. "Can you make two birds to check for north and south west?"

I nodded and made two more birds. They flew away in an instant.

We both decided to stay there and wait for the birds to report but a loud hiss told us to do otherwise.

"Run for your lives!" Sora screamed as we tried our best to outrun a giant snake.

"Guinness World Record people try to measure this one!" I shouted. "Sora, plan!"

"Mind blank! Mind blank! Panic attack, unable to function normally!" He screamed.

"System overload as well, Sky-pe computer program dude!" I returned._Terrible word play._

We continued our sprint and was luckily able to outrun the creature, by throwing a few senbon to distract it. Overwhelmed by the fact that we were alive, he hugged me. I was too distracted to protest and sagged.

"We live to see another day!" Sora cheered.

But our happiness was short-lived, two people bumped into us and we all fell on our backs.

"Trees everywhere!" I heard a familiar voice complain. I opened my eyes and saw the guy with the umbrella.

Sora scowled. "We are not trees!"

His companion was the Tsunade wannabe she sneered and shrieked, "What the hell?!"

In a less than 10 seconds the four of us were trapped inside a barrier._ What is this?_

I looked everywhere and saw a jonin, by the north of the barrier holding it in place. The scene looked familiar as hell but I couldn't pin point where exactly I saw this first.

Suddenly, Orochimaru appeared with the snake who chased us moments ago. He smiled eerily and said, "There is a reason why the exam only has one stage," He smirked. "Simple rules, fight and the team who lives wins... or the battle could stop if one side forfeits. Let the second battle begin." He announced and disappeared in a cloud of smoke._ Second battle? So, we weren't the first to get stuck in this?_

"A fight to the death... surprise, surprise." I said with sarcasm.

The guy with the umbrella narrowed his eyes and got into position. His hands grabbed the end of the umbrella and opened it. "Now who the hell would forfeit," He asked, retorically, as a cocky smirk made its way to his face. "You're both just little kids." He looked about sixteen.

The girl grabbed a kunai and placed it in her mouth, accompanying them with rows of senbon which she held. She smirked. "Little kids, don't last long. I don't even know how you two are chunin. Was the Hokage just playing favourites?"

_How the hell is she talking with that thing in her mouth? And was the _Pose no Jutsu_ and the failure of an attempt of a _Trash Talk no Jutsu_ really necessary? _If this was a show on TV I would have facepalmed, but this was real life so instead I rolled my eyes and gave them an unimpressed look.

Sora, however, got into it, he pulled out ten tiny puppets and his dagger._ Those pouches can hold a lot._

"Little kids?" He chuckled, mocking them. "Silly, ignorant couple I'm eighteen."

This got the duo worked up. "We are not a couple!" The _**Sakura **_wannabe, denied.

Unfortunately for her, my back-talking side made a few words slip, "That's what they all say." I said with a sigh._ This exchange of childish retorts is far worse than Meizu and Fuyuki's 'small talk'._

I pulled out a kunai and placed it in front of me taking the very simple academy stance.

I felt her smirk from a yard away. "Basic," she sneered.

"Basic techniques to kill a human who sounds like a screeching frog." I retorted. "Oh, did I say kill? I meant... never mind, that is what I meant. Now," I pulled out senbon and gave her a smile. "Enough chit-chat, _child_."

I charged in with no warning and aimed a punch at the girl. She dodged it and kicked me in the gut. I grunted in pain then threw the kunai her way when I recovered.

But she expertly dodged it and threw a wave of senbon my way and I countered it with a simple explosion. The smoke filled the part of the field and I noticed the guy and Sora battling, _katana vs dagger_. Sora got the upper hand with his puppets floating around shooting senbon every now and then._ He's pretty handy with a dagger._

The familiar whistling of bomb kunai's brought me back to my battle I jumped away and hovered in the air for a while. The girl appeared from behind the smoke and gave me a chakra enhanced uppercut, I could have sworn I saw all white for a while.

I did my hand signs and blasted her with _Water Release: Wild Water Wave_ before I fell on all fours. She was hit directly but disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

_Shoot! _I created two shadow clones of my own and sent them in to the cloud of black smoke._ The girl's fighting style is obviously taijutsu based and relies mostly on chakra control, much like Sakura and Tsunade... she's a medic-nin._

I smirked._ She's a medic-nin, her strength relies on her chakra enhanced blows... but is it enough?_

I chuckled. "Of course not," a sickly, sweet smile made its way to my face as I did the hand signs for my favourite technique.

My body turned into a swarm of leaves excluding my eyes and I made my way over inside the smoke. My clones did the same thing and went for the girl as well. I stayed low and hoped that no one would put much notice on the moving pile of leaves.

Sora and the umbrella guy's weapons clashed, the sound of metal making contact rang around the field. They expertly dodged and countered each others blows.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

Sora conjured hand signs and shielded himself. "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

_Sora looks fine, for now. _I thought before focusing on my opponent. She and my clone are exchanging kicks and punches. Attempted leg sweeps, uppercuts, gut jabs, and round house kicks were distributed and of course ducking and shielding.

When my clone managed to get a good kick on her side, she jumped back and so did her partner. They stood back to back both equally worthy to get a fist to the face.

"They're not too bad, right Mizuki?" She asked.

My clone and Sora jumped back as well. Sora gave my clone a funny look, so it told him to keep quiet he nodded and remained silent, watching the two._ He catches on fast... oh would you look at that, something I like about my temporary teammate._

"Yes, Shizuka," he started. "I guess we _can _take them seriously... without hurting them too much."

Shizuka chuckled evily and gave me a disturbing smile. "What did you call me again, little boy, 'child' you say?" she chuckled again, "One can only dream to be older than they actually are. Although, I will give you credit for having such a funny and _cute _imagination."

_Oh, man... not this bullshit again. _Sora glanced at my direction as if to question my earlier remark.

"You know girly, for someone named 'quiet' you sure don't know how to shut up." My clone said.

She sneered. "You'll regret saying that," she warned. Mizuki intergected by planting his sword on the ground. The surface of the umbrella he held started to peel of revealing multiple seals imprinted on it. Mizuki placed his hand above one seal and summoned a kunai, double the size of Sora's dagger; it was almost as long as my arm.

_Getting out the 'big guns'?_ I thought.

My clone took out two kunai and planted them on the ground._ Ram, boar, dog. _My clone's hands crackled with electricity, the current stayed on my hands and didn't spread.

"Lightning Release: Electric Transfer..."

* * *

\( - _ - )/|oo0oo|\( - _ - )/

* * *

**_You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist._**

**_~Friedrich Nietzsche_**

* * *

**A/N: **I found out there was no such thing as a "Jonin Exam" so I made one up. _Too easy? What is it about? _This is a "Konoha" exam, so the first few requirements aren't that hard to figure out... I think. Also, I'm (kind of) finally understanding how fight scenes work. _Let me know how I'm doing, if you have time._ 10,000 views! you guys are the best.


End file.
